Thank You
Lawrence Watkins ’16
In an increasingly interconnected world, Lawrence Watkins ’16 knew it was important to attend a university that emphasized diversity.
“As a high school student, I did some research and learned that UNCG was the most diverse school in the UNC system. I thought it would be a great place to go,” said Watkins. “Technology is making the world smaller each day, so it’s important to have an understanding of different cultures and races.”
Dean Priddy ’83, ’86 MBA, a successful Bryan School of Business and Economics graduate and UNCG Trustee, shares that viewpoint. Retired as VP of Finance and Administration and CFO at Qorvo, a RF solutions company with 6,000 global employees, Priddy strongly believes in incorporating global perspectives into business education and hiring students with international experience. With his wife, he established the Dean and Tracy Priddy Scholarship for students in the Bryan School—Lawrence Watkins was a recipient of the Priddy Scholarship.
Watkins was attracted to the Bryan School’s demanding undergraduate degree program in accounting. Having come from a low-income background, he knew he needed to understand accounting to be successful.
Through hard work, discipline, and strong family support, Watkins made good on his determination to make every day at UNCG count, inside the classroom and out. One accomplishment was co-founding DRAFT, an on-campus organization dedicated to attracting global companies to recruit UNCG accounting students.
In 2016 he was inducted into the prestigious Beta Gamma Sigma honor society and graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Next Watkins will work toward a Master of Science in accountancy at Wake Forest University.
Like alumnus Dean Priddy before him, Lawrence Watkins has built a solid foundation for his future. The world is his oyster.
