Class of Spring 2026: COB graduate Gabrielle Washington

College of Business Class of 2026 graduate Gabrielle Washington appears to have it all. She’s a senior analyst at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Before that, Washington, a mom of four, had 10-plus years of work experience that includes a supervisor role at a tier-one automotive supplier. And, on May 2, she’ll have her Bachelor of Business Administration in human resource management.

But no journey is as straightforward as it seems. Because of that, Washington has some encouragement to share: “Keep the faith, invest in yourself and if you are looking to go back to college, UM-Dearborn is the right place.”

Washington is nearing the end of an undergraduate journey that started in 2008, when she was a teen mom right out of high school. Washington, who was the salutatorian of her high school class, earned a scholarship to UM-Dearborn. But she left college during her sophomore year. “I needed to work full time and I was expecting my second child,” she says. “At that time, I heard from people that I’d never go back to college because girls like me don’t. I want people to know that girls like me do go back to school — and we finish.”

During her college hiatus, Washington landed a factory job at Faurecia in Saline. She made interior components for Ford Motor Company’s dashboards and doors, working 12-hour shifts and many overnights. As years went by, she was promoted to a line leader and then a shift supervisor. She spoke on panels at corporate events and earned several awards, including supervisor of the year. But Washington felt something was missing.

“I enjoyed the people I worked with, but I felt like I should be doing something more — something where I could use what I was good at and go beyond making parts. I wanted to help people in a way that I thought was meaningful,” she says. Her oldest son, Paris, then 10, also pushed Washington to make a change when he told her that he wasn’t going to work in a factory when he got older. Washington, who was grateful for her job, asked him why. “Paris told me that I always seem upset about work and tired,” she says. “He was right. I felt stuck and I was exhausted. I outgrew what I did. I needed an education that would allow me to go beyond what I was doing.”

In 2018, Washington — then a mom to three; her youngest was born in 2020 — applied to UM-Dearborn. She wanted a business education in human resource management to merge her workplace-honed skills of efficiency and problem-solving into a career that helps people.

After enrolling, Washington met Andy Dean, senior academic advisor in the College of Business. Dean listened as Washington shared her goals and, together, they created a path to graduation. “Andy was my rider. He's so supportive and motivating,” Washington says. “He’d help me research classes and professors. He kept me on a path to graduation even when I had another baby and the pandemic hit. I’d get encouraging emails from him out of nowhere and he’d ask if there was anything I needed. Andy didn’t have to do that — but he did.” When Washington experienced financial hardship during the pandemic, Dean encouraged her to apply for a university scholarship that helped her family make ends meet. “I’m at this finish line today through the grace of God and because of my village. Andy is part of that village,” she says.

As she took more business courses, Washington said her confidence in her abilities continued to grow and she began looking for different career opportunities. In 2024, she landed a position with BCBSM. After a year, she received a promotion to their Workforce Management Department, where she helps create and implement staffing strategies. “They saw my leadership experience in the automotive field and that I was going to school for a business degree,” says Washington. “They liked that I had a different perspective.”

Over the past eight years at UM-Dearborn, Washington says she’s learned that there is no wrong age to return to school. “I was so concerned about being an older student at first, but there is so much diversity on this campus that no one thought anything about it. There were young people and older people in all of my classes,” she says. “I felt comfortable right away.” Washington also learned she can do anything she sets her mind to — and that she’s got supporters cheering right alongside her. 

“Every one of my business professors helped get me to this moment. They are experts in their fields. They are kind. They listen. They wanted me to succeed,” she says. “There are times I felt burned out, but I could see how much they were rooting for me. They genuinely cared and that gave me the encouragement to push through.”

In addition to working full time at BCBSM after graduation, Washington plans to pursue graduate school in the near future. 

Washington says her husband and children will be there on Saturday to celebrate as she walks across the stage. She’s already picked out her shoes —  gold heels with a butterfly accent. The multicolored butterfly is a glittering reminder that you can always transform.

“I want people to know that sometimes the cards you draw aren’t ideal. But that doesn’t decide the game — how you play it does. We all will come up against challenges, but I want people to know that those don’t define you. They refine you,” she says. “What matters is that you keep going. And I’m going to keep going. Those shoes are going to take me across that stage and into the next chapter of my life.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury