Alumnus Profile – Matthew J. Nicholson, MBA, Sonoma State ’03
I joined Phi Delta Theta in the last pledge class of the twentieth century (1999)! I joined the organization because of its diversity of people and ideas; everyone accepted everyone for who they were and was not tied to a certain stereotype. During my undergraduate Phi Delt time, I was a secretary and a Phikeia educator and held several other supporting roles. I was privileged to serve on the first IFC exec board at SSU. As an only child, this brotherhood was my first real experience having men my age who had my back and shared common college experiences with them. During my time in Phi Delt, I also had two personal tragedies, and the first place I turned to was my brothers. I truly don’t know what I would have done if I didn’t have the brotherhood network to rely upon during those dark times. As an alumnus, I was always happy to support California Sigma, but my happiest accomplishment was being the emerging chapter and then chapter adviser for California Upsilon (Fresno State). As the chapter grew, an opportunity for them to rent a house presented itself, and I was able to serve as their housing chairman.
Why do you support the Phi Delta Theta Foundation?
The Foundation supports critical programs, scholarships, and so much more. I want to ensure those opportunities continue for decades to come so others can take my place to sustain them long after I’m gone.
Why do you think the Fraternity is still relevant today?
Social connections and support are more relevant today than ever before. I would argue that this was proven even more true during the pandemic. Fraternity creates a sense of belonging and purpose to support each other and our communities.
What advice do you have for current students?
Always be willing to learn. Stretch yourself and take the risk. Don’t take the job just for the money—take it for the opportunity to grow and learn.
Matthew was born and raised in Northern California. He graduated from Sonoma State University in 2003 with a BA in English. After graduation, Matthew’s goal was to teach high school; however, he ended up in a training and development role for a home warranty company based in Santa Rosa, California. Over the past twenty years, Matthew has held various training and development leadership roles. He returned to Sonoma State in 2014 and earned his MBA in 2016. He is the global training operations manager for First American Home Warranty, overseeing training operations for our onshore employees and offshore contract staff in Kenya, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Matthew is an avid traveler, having sailed on over twenty cruises, and can speak basic French, Spanish, and Italian.
