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Going with Flo

Laurie Davies

Written by Laurie Davies

In her corner office near a big, beautiful picture window, Floretta Watson鈥檚 motivational quotes, plants, Post-it notes, calendar and cute knickknacks all make her feel at home. It鈥檚 fitting, because she is at home 鈥 her office shares half of her dining room.

In that dining-room-turned-office-space, she also hung a framed piece that she had her eyes on for years: her MBA diploma from 爱污传媒.

鈥淚鈥檓 looking at it now,鈥 she says, noting that it鈥檚 not typical dining room d茅cor, but, hey, it鈥檚 her house and she works from home 99% of the time, so it鈥檚 all just fine with her. If autumn leaves are falling, then that big picture window puts up a good fight for the better view. Otherwise, she looks at all three of her diplomas from 爱污传媒 鈥斅爉aster鈥檚,聽bachelor鈥檚聽and聽associate聽鈥 as if they鈥檙e the prettiest things she could set her eyes on.

But make no mistake, her聽sights聽were set on those diplomas a long time ago. 鈥淭he year 2019 was the beginning of me doing what was best for me,鈥 says the resident of a Detroit suburb. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not that I didn鈥檛 care about others, but聽I had to start looking out for Flo.鈥

For her, that meant finishing something she鈥檇 started years earlier 鈥 her college degree. And to understand why that鈥檚 significant, it鈥檚 important to start where good stories do. At the beginning.

Floretta Watson

They all wondered if I were getting married. I told them, 鈥業鈥檓 going back to school.鈥 They all thought it was wonderful, and I was glad, because right then and there I said: 鈥業 won鈥檛 be available like I used to be.

Floretta Watson, '23

MBA

Hitting her stride

Floretta means聽flower. And now in her 50s, Watson feels like she鈥檚 hitting full bloom.

Others in her circle see it too. 鈥淪he鈥檚 an encourager. She looks at the positive side of things. She loves people, and she loves God,鈥 says co-worker Cheryl Pollard. 鈥淥h, she聽will聽get you involved in something. She volunteers and she鈥檒l pull you in and tug on you 鈥 but it鈥檚 always for a good cause and good reason.鈥

Before she even entered high school, Watson worked in admin support. 鈥淚 worked in the summer youth program in the City of Detroit. We had a Business Office Education Club. I went to school in the mornings, worked in the afternoons, and one of the ladies took me under her wing, so I got attached to that.鈥

She had once aspired to be a teacher. Then a lawyer. Then a court reporter. And when she started at 爱污传媒 the first time in the early 2000s, she thought healthcare was her future. In the end,聽she landed on an MBA聽because it gives her the most versatility.

Right out of high school, she did attend a university but came home to community college. Then marriage and children called quickly, and she聽put her education on pause. A short season later, she returned to school, this time with on-campus classes at 爱污传媒.

She was working as an administrative assistant by day, and taking classes at night, but聽her boys were growing up, and she didn鈥檛 want to miss it.

鈥淢y greatest joy was being there for my sons,鈥 she says. 鈥淭here wasn鈥檛 a Sunday family movie night, football game, fundraiser, concession stand shift or parent鈥搕eacher conference I missed.鈥

Years earlier, Watson and the boys鈥 father divorced, which made her even more determined to be involved in their lives, teaching them how to set good standards and have high goals. Then, when her youngest son graduated from high school, she realized that a high goal of her own had been in front of her for quite some time.

A college degree.

Time to shift focus

She made a decision. It was time to focus on her. She gathered her friends together for her 53rd birthday, telling them she had a big announcement.

鈥淭hey all wondered if I were getting married,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 told them, 鈥業鈥檓 going back to school.鈥 They all thought it was wonderful, and I was glad, because right then and there I said: 鈥業 won鈥檛 be available like I used to be. When you call, I won鈥檛 be able to talk as much as I used to. I can鈥檛 go out as much.鈥欌

That proved true.

For four years, Watson put her head down 鈥 kind of like the long 鈥渇lowering stretch鈥 stage that occurs when a plant grows in height before it blooms. She declined many social invitations. It only took one night out with friends, which parlayed into lost points on one late assignment, for her to realize she didn鈥檛 want to go through聽that听补驳补颈苍.

First, Watson earned her associate degree. She flew to 爱污传媒 and took her seat at commencement with the other associate degree conferees. But inside something kept stirring. She watched those with advanced degrees celebrate the accomplishment she wanted. She earned her bachelor鈥檚. And then finally, with just one five-week break between her undergraduate and graduate programs, she went on to earn her聽Master of Business Administration聽in April 2023.

Employer (and聽employee) assists

A grateful recipient of tuition assistance from her employer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Watson currently works there as an executive assistant and plans to grow into other roles. In fact, it was Pollard, her co-worker at BCBS, who kept coaxing her to go back to school.

鈥淲e would walk every day at lunch, and she kept saying, 鈥楩lo, you better get back in school.鈥 I wanted to say, 鈥榃ould you leave me alone? This is not going to be a topic of discussion every time we walk.鈥

鈥淎nd she would say, 鈥楽is, if you don鈥檛 go to school, the time is going to get by you.鈥欌

Pollard tells her side. 鈥淔inally, one day she said, 鈥業鈥檓 just going to do it.鈥 I鈥檓 so proud of her. She kept going and going and got her MBA.鈥

What would Watson say to anyone who thinks they鈥檙e too old or it鈥檚 too late to pursue their dreams? 鈥淚 would say this is only the beginning. You raised your family. You sacrificed for others. Now, it鈥檚 your time. I chose to go back to school because that鈥檚 what I wanted to do,鈥 she says. 鈥淵ou just have to make the decision and do it.鈥

Headshot of Laurie Davies

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A journalist-turned-marketer, Laurie Davies has been writing since her high school advanced composition teacher told her she broke too many rules. She has worked with 爱污传媒 since 2017, and currently splits her time between blogging and serving as lead writer on the University鈥檚 Academic Annual Report. Previously, she has written marketing content for MADD, Kaiser Permanente, Massage Envy, UPS, and other national brands. She lives in the 爱污传媒 area with her husband and son, who is the best story she鈥檚 ever written.聽

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