Pictured, top row, L to R: Catherine Bowie ’28, Mia Chelsoi ’28, Emma Doherty ’28, Shelby Faulkner ’28, and Lois Hill ’28; middle row: Emma Iskiwitz ’28, Caroline Jefferies ’29, Katie Phan ’28, Holly Scheinblum ’25, and Georgia Shelby ’28; bottom row: Mimi Smith ’28, Elizabeth Soefker ’24, Sloane Vandergrift ’27, Ellie Willson ’29, and Sophia Wilson ’28
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Young Writers Earn 15 Scholastic Writing Awards
Congratulations to the 15 Hutchison girls who won Scholastic Writing Awards in the recent Alliance for Young Artists & Writers competition!
Hutchison students demonstrated a mastery of storytelling and creativity as they submitted original works of fiction, poetry, and personal essays for the Scholastic Writing Awards. They competed against students across several states in the South region. Flash fiction by Katie Phan ’28 received a Gold Key, and her work is moving on to compete nationally.
Upper school English teachers Savannah McCausland and Jenna Morgan said they are incredibly proud of their students who placed. Ten of eighth grade English teacher Robby Uhrman’s students were recognized for their work, and he congratulated his students with some uplifting words: “I hope this recognition inspires you to have faith in your own voice and embrace your abilities as talented writers.”
Gold Key Winner
Katie Phan ’28: Flash Fiction
Silver Key Winners
Catherine Bowie ’28: Poetry
Holly Scheinblum ’25: Poetry
Georgia Shelby ’28: Poetry
Elizabeth Soefker ’24: Short Story
Honorable Mention Winners
Mia Chelsoi ’28: Poetry
Emma Doherty ’28: Dramatic Script
Shelby Faulkner ’28: Poetry
Lois Hill ’28: Personal Essay & Memoir
Emma Iskiwitz ’28: Poetry
Caroline Jefferies ’29: Poetry
Mimi Smith ’28: Poetry
Sloane Vandergrift ’27: Flash Fiction
Ellie Willson ’29: Poetry
Sophia Wilson ’28: Poetry
We commend all our Hutchison participants whose hard work and creativity enabled them to produce deeply personal, innovative, and thought-provoking work.
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.