Hutchison NOW (Network of Women) highlights recent graduates sharing the ways a Hutchison education has prepared them to lead boldly.
Shelton Wittenberg ’14
The first person to tell Shelton Wittenberg ’14 that she should consider a career in law was a Hutchison middle school teacher when she was in 8th grade. His confidence in her always stuck with her, and now, she is an associate attorney for Baker Donelson in Memphis and gives back to Hutchison as a middle school lacrosse coach. Hutchison taught her courage, confidence, and collaboration skills as the school pushed her out of her comfort zone.
The Navy is full of challenges, but Monica Fleck ’18 is prepared to take them on thanks to the confidence Hutchison instilled in her. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Monica is in Naval flight school in Corpus Christi, Texas, and she hopes to work in search and rescue. Read about why she decided to join the military and how Hutchison set her up for success.
Meagan Thornton ’12 is breaking new ground as lead pharmacist at CaryRx, a digital pharmacy in Washington, D.C. Meagan credits Hutchison with empowering her to be a leader in her industry, from helping hundreds of patients access life-saving medications through a mobile app to guiding software developers and engineers as a subject matter expert.
At Hutchison, Caroline Kyle ’15 gained the confidence to dive into the world of technology and pursue her passion for cycling. A software engineer at Walmart Global Tech in Bentonville, Arkansas, Caroline credits Hutchison with fostering the collaboration, problem-solving, and communication skills that have been critical to her success. Outside of her role coding and expanding applications into global markets, she mentors junior engineers and teaches software engineering courses.
Libby Moore Maslyn ’07 is a financial crimes specialist and assistant vice president for Wells Fargo. Her critical thinking, attention to detail, and data analysis skills, which she uses daily, all started at Hutchison. Her work leads to uncovering financial crimes, and Libby credits Hutchison for giving her a strong foundation to build on.
Gabriela Alvergue ’13 credits Hutchison's art classes with helping her jump right into architecture and design. An associate and technical designer at Gensler, a global architecture, design, and planning firm in Chicago, Gabriela is giving back by connecting with juniors in our myExperience program’s art and design cohort.
Katie Hussey ’16 is an associate for Goldman Sachs in New York. Previous to that, she spent several years as chief of staff for Goldman Sachs’ two global leaders of Consumer and Wealth Management and as a financial analyst within Goldman Sachs’ Private Wealth Management. She credits Hutchison with giving her the confidence to go outside her comfort zone.
Allison Blankenship ’12 has worked on Capitol Hill in the U.S. House of Representatives for three different Congresswomen. In addition to serving as a Staff Assistant and Legislative Correspondent, she has worked as a Legislative Aide, a Legislative Assistant, and Floor Assistant for the office of the Speaker of the House and the Democratic Whip.
Daisye Rainer ’17 takes what she has learned about the world and uses her knowledge to make it a better place as a program associate for Social Impact, a global development management consulting firm. Daisye, based in Denver, has worked on projects in countries including Kenya, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Honduras, and Tanzania.
As a product manager for Reddit, Gabi Stein ’15 is responsible for the research, design, analysis, and launch of new features. For her, every day is about creation, experimentation, and implementation as she helps shepherd new Reddit features from ideation to completion. Hutchison helped Gabi explore her interest in math and science and develop the confidence and skills needed to succeed in the tech industry.
Even from a young age, Noor Obaji ’10 had a sense that she was meant to be an attorney. She practices law at Lewis Thomason, PC, a general civil liability defense firm in Memphis. She specializes in healthcare liability defense, defending doctors sued by patients alleging medical negligence. She also helps coach Hutchison’s mock trial team and serves as president of the local chapter of Association for Women Attorneys.
Kate Christenbury Curry ’07 is accustomed to challenges as an IT supervisor for ConocoPhillips. When a massive honeycomb posed a serious threat to a communication tower, this Hutchison honeybee was part of the multidisciplinary team of experts that saved the bees AND restored tower operations.
Brittany-Rae Gregory Rivers ’08, Ph.D., first became inspired to write when she read Harriet the Spy, a book series written by Hutchison alumna Louise Fitzhugh ’46. While at Hutchison, Brittany-Rae developed a love of storytelling and became a confident writer. Now, she focuses on public service as she shares stories for a tech-focused nonprofit.
For Elizabeth Gonda ’16, every day is an opportunity to make a difference. As a care manager at Healthfirst, she empowers people to best advocate for themselves in healthcare settings and connects them with resources to address various medical conditions. Hutchison helped Elizabeth discover her interest in nonprofit work and her love for Spanish, a skill she continues to use regularly in her career.
Mary Catherine Hughes ’10 was a leading actress on the Hutchison stage, and now she aims to support the next generation of actors and technical theatre professionals. As a development associate at the Nashville Repertory Theatre, Mary Catherine assesses fundraising trends, analyzes campaign effectiveness, shares the organization’s mission, and builds relationships with donors.
Caroline Orr ’12 has built a unique career that merges her love for art with business acumen. Caroline works as an art services specialist at Bank of America, where she helps collectors navigate the art market with strategic advice. She’s also a practicing artist and credits her Hutchison teachers with helping her identify her artistic style.
Phoebe Norcross ’13 is an architectural designer for Rogers Partners Architects + Urban Designers. Phoebe served on the design team for an award-winning tech headquarters in Shanghai, China. She says she’s known she wanted to be an architect since she was five and credits Hutchison with equipping her with the curiosity to listen and ask questions.
Katie Daniel ’14 is a writer for animated film and television and has worked steadily as a production assistant, script coordinator, and freelance writer since graduating from Columbia College Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in animation. When she had her first opportunity to write a script for a TV show, she honored one of her favorite Hutchison teachers.