Watkins was selected as one of three "Persons of the Year 2002" by Time magazine, alongside two other whistleblowers, Cynthia Cooper of WorldCom and Coleen Rowley of the FBI.

Watkins holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (with honors) from the University of Texas, where she was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority,[1] and a Master in Professional Accounting, also from the McCombs School of Business.

[4] In August 2001, Watkins alerted Lay of accounting irregularities in financial reports.

[4] According to The Guardian: "Enron began an inquiry, but it failed to use independent investigators and her claims were largely dismissed.

Watkins was called to testify before committees of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate at the beginning of 2002, primarily about her warnings to Enron's then-CEO Kenneth Lay about accounting irregularities in the financial statements.