Hutchison Receives Highest AP School Honor Roll Distinction
Hutchison earned Platinum distinction on the 2023 AP School Honor Roll, a recognition given by the College Board.
The AP School Honor Roll recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while broadening access. According to the College Board, schools can earn this recognition annually based on criteria that reflect a commitment to providing opportunities for students to earn college credit and maximizing college readiness.
Hutchison exceeded the following criteria for the Platinum distinction:
Expand your school's college culture by enabling 80% of the Class of 2023 to experience one AP course before graduating.
Assist with college affordability by enabling 50% of the Class of 2023 to earn college credit by earning an AP Exam score of 3.
Optimize student's college readiness by creating opportunities for 15% of your Class of 2023 to take a total of 5 APs across their high school years, with at least one taken in 9th or 10th grade.
Hutchison offers 20 AP courses for upper school students, including AP Biology, AP Computer Science Principles, AP Environmental Science, and AP Comparative Government & Politics, to help our girls create an educational journey unique to their skills, talents, and interests. Every single member of the Class of 2023 took at least one AP course before graduating, and almost half of the class took five or more AP courses across their high school years. The goal of our rigorous academic program for upper school students is to produce passionate, serious scholars capable of effective communication, sustained work, independent thought, meaningful collaboration, and original expression.
Spring is a time of traditions at Hutchison. Some, like the celebration of May Day, have been around for a century or more. And some, like the Number Five Award, are brand new.
Empathy. Discomfort. Controversy. Curiosity. Perspective. Engagement. These six words encompass a wide range of emotional and intellectual ideas. In the fall of 2020, when the Class of 2024 were freshmen, they started attending sessions to learn about civil discourse. While the world was still navigating the pandemic, it was a great time to practice how to have constructive conversations about things we agree on… and things we disagree on.
Nine Hutchison upper school girls served the Memphis community during the Church Health Youth Service Council’s inaugural year and will continue to serve on the council next school year.
Hutchison Now highlights graduates early in their careers who embody how a Hutchison education can lead anywhere you can imagine. We spoke with Shelton Wittenberg ’14, an associate attorney at Baker Donelson who also coaches Hutchison middle school lacrosse.
Jordan Deupree ’24 and Bailey Wiener ’24 have been recognized for their leadership in their selection for the Next Gen program, which provides students with mentorship and opportunities to learn more about the Memphis business community.
Hutchison alumna Dr. Kelly Rodney Arnold ’96 had the honor of serving as the commencement speaker for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s College of Arts and Sciences ceremony in May 2024.
At Hutchison, Zelia Cedeño-Avila ’24 stepped out of her comfort zone to try many different things and hone in on her interest in science and math, from serving as Technology Council president to creating a robotic scarecrow for her myExperience capstone project. A lifelong learner, she will bring her knowledge and skills to Vanderbilt University, where she plans to study mechanical engineering.
Three upper school students will participate in high-intensity summer programs in subjects including emerging technologies, international studies, and computational physics.
A discovery in one science class led Izzy Ellis ’24 to delve deeper into her interest in biology and map out a path for college and beyond. Along the way, she nurtured other interests, from athletics to civics. An aspiring oncologist, her dream is to find a new, innovative treatment that could help save lives.
Hutchison world language students participated in the 2024 U of M Language Fair, sponsored by The University of Memphis Department of World Languages and Literatures. Demonstrating their knowledge of Spanish, Hutchison had a total of 12 students win awards at the fair.
AP Scholar and National African American Recognition Program Scholar Lauren Coleman ’24 explored her interest in science and the environment at Hutchison. She hopes to make a difference through a career in sustainability.
J’oules Williams ’24 is a member of Memphis Parent magazine’s inaugural 10 under 20 class. The award celebrates youth who strive to make a difference in their community and change the lives of others for the better.
Adela Calzada ’24 has attended Hutchison since pre-K, and she said it allowed her to blossom into a leader who also makes Hutchison feel like home for her peers.
Our inaugural graduating class of the myExperience program presented their capstone projects with confidence, poise, and enthusiasm at our first myExperience Senior Showcase.