Commencement 2025 at the Cal State Fullerton College of Business and Economics featured keynote addresses by Dean’s Advisory Board Chair Tim Goff ’93 for the morning ceremony and Dean’s Advisory Board member, Executive in Residence and Goodwill OC executive Nicole Suydam for the evening event. 

Tim Goff: Embracing the Change  

Goff, who is senior vice president and head of Americas residential for ASSA ABLOY, told graduates, family and friends that in a world moving at warp speed, the ability and willingness to change and be a changemaker is essential.  

“Change favors the bold. Chaos favors the curious. The next great innovations, the next wave of leaders, they’re going to come from people who are flexible, open-minded, resilient,” he said. “You’ve already shown you know how to keep going when things get tough. You know how to collaborate, how to think critically, and how to solve real-world problems. That’s what business is all about. That’s what leadership is all about.”  

Goff noted that when he was graduating more than 30 years ago, leading a $2 billion global business with more than 7,000 employees was never on his radar. But through accepting new opportunities, he slowly but surely rose to greatness.  

“I didn’t have a master plan. I didn’t have a five-year vision board. What I had was a willingness to keep saying yes—to opportunities that scared me, to jobs I wasn’t sure I was ready for, to changes I didn’t expect. And that’s the advice I want to leave you with today. Say yes to that first job—even if it’s not perfect. Say yes to the project that challenges you. Say yes to leading something, even if your voice shakes. Say yes to switching paths—even if it means starting over.”  

Nicole Suydam: Moments That Matter  

Nicole Suydam’s student days were spent at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa. Her career has included serving as development manager and then CEO for Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and vice president of development and then CEO of OC Goodwill. She recalls feeling uncertain about her future when graduating.  

Coming from a single-family household, Suydam’s mother was her role model. It is an experience she recognizes many of today’s Business Titans can relate to. “My mom became my role model for hard work, a strong faith in God and a determination to never give up,” recalled Suydam. “She would often say, ‘I want better for you. I don’t want you to struggle like I’ve struggled. I want you to go to college and have better opportunities.”’ 

Suydam recalls her graduation as one of many moments that matter – turning points in life that opened doors and created pathways for unforeseen opportunities. Another was taking her first post-graduation job.  

“Your first job offer out of college may not be what you wanted, but you can make the decision to make the most of it and be an asset to your boss and company, which will grow your character and open the right doors for your career,” she told today’s Titans.  

Now with decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, Suydam has watched with satisfaction as numerous Orange County residents have overcome the challenges of disabilities, incarceration, undereducation and more through the initiatives she leads to become productive members of the workforce.  

“You will never be ready for your dream job nor even know at this moment that it even exists. Just jump in. Start learning. Start doing. Be curious. And surround yourself with a strong team and mentors who believe in you,” said Suydam. 

From the speeches from Goff and Suydam to the inspiration of graduating students Anthony Gomez and Tiffany Vo, commencement 2025 was the capstone of an exciting and achieving year. Follow CSUF Business on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook for more memorable highlights.