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2026 CSUF grad is bettering herself in order to help others

April 30, 2026

Nichole Gideon’s path through higher education has been anything but conventional. So when the single, disabled mother of two graduates from Cal State Fullerton this May with bachelor’s degrees in sociology and philosophy, along with a minor in law, politics and society, it will represent the latest chapter in a hard-fought comeback story that is still being written. Gideon grew up in Orange and graduated from Villa Park High School before attending Fullerton College in the late 1990s. In her 20s, she lived in San Francisco and San Diego during a period of extreme hardship that included the birth of her first child, a severe back injury and nearly a decade of homelessness.

In 2017, the same year Gideon gave birth to her younger child, she stabilized her situation with the help of Casa Teresa, a local nonprofit that serves pregnant women in crisis. She secured housing and employment, and her circumstances began to improve.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, while working a temporary job at the Orange County Fire Authority, Gideon began to consider what it would look like to return to college.

“I was so inspired by the young people there,” Gideon said. “It was a number of factors that inspired me to go back to school, knowing that it definitely could be the catalyst to make something better for myself.”

Gideon graduated from Cypress College in 2022 with degrees in sociology and social and behavioral sciences. Not content to stop there, she transferred to CSUF in 2023 as a sociology major, and the plan that had seemed unreachable a few years earlier was now expanding into more ambitious goals.

“For a long time, the focus was just get stable, get housed and make sure the kids are OK,” Gideon said. “The plan was a lot smaller, but now we’re having to come up with bigger dreams as I keep hitting these milestones.”

Gideon dove in headfirst at CSUF, determined to make the most of her experience. She utilized the TAPP Center, a program that provides resources for transfer, adult re-entry and parenting or pregnant students, as well as Project Rebound, a program that supports students who have been impacted by the criminal justice system.

In sociology, Gideon chose a concentration in crime and deviance. She then expanded her degree path to include a multidisciplinary minor in law, politics and society, as well as a second major in philosophy, a subject in which she has found an unexpected passion.

“My whole educational journey has been one of those where you jump through the doors when you see them, and it continues to develop and grow,” Gideon said.

Gideon also earned a spot on CSUF’s Moot Court, a highly selective team where students compete in mock Supreme Court-style hearings. She traveled to Saginaw, Mich., and Washington, D.C., where she argued both sides of the 14th Amendment. It was an opportunity that gave her confidence and sharpened her skills.

“It taught me the ability to be clear when I was speaking, to critically think on the spot, to be able to be responsive and listen to people’s questions,” Gideon said.

Outside of academics, Gideon has been making a difference in the community as an advocate for people experiencing homelessness. As a recipient of permanent supportive housing in Anaheim, she serves on the Lived Experience Advisory Committee for the Orange County Continuum of Care, a federally funded homeless services system. More recently, she was appointed to represent the committee on the Orange County Continuum of Care Board.

Gideon’s current roles have given her a front-row seat to how policy and systemic responses to homelessness take shape across the county. Her work in this area earned her a place on the Orange County Register’s 2025 list of 125 Most Influential People in Orange County, as well as recognition as one of state Sen. Tom Umberg’s Women of Distinction.

“I give back to the community because as much as I did the work, those windows of opportunity were opened by nonprofits,” Gideon said. “I utilized them, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

As Gideon prepares to graduate, she is making her dream bigger by planning to attend law school and pursue community service or housing law. As a first-generation college graduate, she hopes her journey sets a positive example for her children and serves as a reminder that each person experiencing homelessness has a story.

As she reflects on her time at CSUF, it feels bittersweet to move on, but Gideon looks forward to carrying the strength and fearlessness of being a Titan into the uncharted territory ahead.

“Every day I walk on campus, I’m inspired, and that hasn’t changed,” Gideon said. “It continues to show me what it’s like to see people that are striving to get better, striving to learn and changing the world. … I’m going to miss Cal State Fullerton so much. There’s not a day I’ve been there that I haven’t been inspired.”

Orange County Register

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2026 CSUF grad is bettering herself in order to help others

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