Like Mother, Like Daughter

When Samantha Watson was in fifth grade, her teacher asked the class to write a letter to their future selves that they would open ahead of high school graduation – seven years down the road.

“I wrote in that letter that I wanted to go to pharmacy school at Michigan,” Watson explained. “I didn’t even remember writing that, but it’s so funny, because that goal never changed.”

Perhaps it was Watson’s love for science mixed with her passion for helping others that drew her to the field, but there’s a good chance someone special in her life had an influence on this path, too. 

Jennifer Walters, PharmD ’94, a proud two-time graduate of the University of Michigan, is Watson’s mother, and if you see her filling up her shopping cart with maize and blue apparel, it’s because she’s basking in the excitement that not one, but two, of her children attend her alma mater. 

While Samantha is finishing up her second year at U-M in the Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) program, her twin, Blake, is pursuing engineering. 

“It’s actually mindblowing that both of my children go to U-M,” said Walters. “I never pushed this on them; I wanted them to choose their own path, but it’s incredible that it worked out this way. I love this school.”

For Walters, it’s even more incredible that her daughter decided to follow in her footsteps and pursue pharmacy as a career path. 

“I was both flattered and shocked when she told me she was going into pharmacy,” said Walters. “She never gave me any indication that that was what she was considering. Sometimes it takes someone on the outside to remind you that what you do is cool and makes a difference, and this was a great reminder of that.”

And Walters’ cool career is certainly something Watson can look up to. She serves as the Vice President of Pharmacy Clinical Operations and Strategy at Molina Healthcare, a company focused on government-sponsored healthcare programs. There, she oversees Medicaid and marketplace pharmacy programs. She’s in charge of pharmacy policy, formulary management, clinical pharmacy programs and vendor evaluation for national initiatives. 

“Today, you see pharmacists embedded into many different areas, and I think that’s fantastic, but when I decided to go into pharmacy administration, it was seen as very untraditional back then,” Walters explained. “Now, the College of Pharmacy encourages students to look at all of their options and try different things, and that’s why I’m so excited for my daughter to find her niche in the field – whether it’s similar to my career or not.”

Even as a sophomore, Watson says she’s already getting exposure to the breadth of opportunities a pharmacy degree can provide. 

“The beauty of the U-M College of Pharmacy community is that it’s close-knit and smaller than many other units on campus. As a bachelor’s student, I am able to interact with PharmD students and seek their advice, and I have faculty who are always willing to help.”

Watson has already taken advantage of opportunities throughout the College, including serving on e-board for the Pre-Pharmacy Student Organization (PPSO), being a voice on the College’s Wellbeing Committee and serving as a class representative.

“She calls me and tells me what she’s doing, and I think it’s so great,” said Walters. “She loves this community and, as a mother, it makes me so happy to hear that my child has a home here. It sounds cliche to say, but it really warms my heart, because I, too, found a home at the College of Pharmacy.” 

Watson has no plans to leave her newfound home anytime soon. She plans to participate in U-M’s Fast Track to a PharmD program – exposing her to her first year of pharmacy school while completing the final year of her BSPS degree. And that’s music to the ears of her mother, who also received two degrees from U-M, especially because this option was not available in 1994. 

“I made lifelong friends here, and I’m excited for my children to do the same,” said Walters.