Rising Juniors Learn and Explore on myExperience Trips to Chicago and Washington, D.C.

With support from Hutchison faculty, our girls planned both trips and took charge. Two cohorts, global civic engagement and entrepreneurship, went to Washington, D.C., and two other cohorts, STEM and art and design, visited Chicago. Each cohort researched the experiences in their respective city, determined what they wanted to do, made reservations, planned out their transportation, and budgeted and tracked all of their expenses. Our myExperience cohorts meet weekly throughout the year, and Hutchison faculty members provide connections to real-world activities and professionals. Planning and taking a trip to another city, though, took these experiences to another level.

Our groups in D.C. visited the Smithsonian, toured Georgetown University, and went to the White House and the Capitol, where they even found Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty’s office. “D.C. was the perfect city to look through the lens of global civic engagement as every part of the city has its own specific history and cultural richness,” Emma Goughnour ’26 said.

Sophia Henderson ’26, a member of the entrepreneurship cohort, said she learned a lot from the entire trip, but a special experience was meeting with Kiara Ortiz, a legal advisor at the Federal Communications Commission and the co-founder of LegallyBlack, an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between intellectual property resources and minority communities of color. 

In Chicago, the STEM cohort explored natural history at the Field Museum, diagnosed and worked on a manikin patient at the Museum of Science and Industry, learned more about medicine at the International Museum of Surgical Science, and gained a firsthand look at the mechanics behind escape rooms. Through these experiences, our girls got a glimpse of what happens in an emergency room, performed an ultrasound via a simulation, and studied meteorites and cells.

“This trip increased my interest in pursuing a career in biomedical engineering,” Mattie Ra ’26 said. “I also developed a deeper understanding of our cognitive processes and perception of the world.”

The arts and design cohort met with an exhibit designer at the Shedd Aquarium, learned about architecture at the Chicago Architecture Center, and enjoyed the masterpieces on display at the Art Institute of Chicago. “It was an eye-opening and educational experience exploring different workspaces centered around art and design,” Samantha Ring ’26 said. “I got a glimpse into the working parts of a business that before, I wouldn’t even think to consider, such as spacing between exhibits, curved walls for smoother flow, and text size being considered for a visitor’s interest.”

Students also enjoyed special experiences such as an architecture river cruise along the Chicago River, a Blue Man group performance, a moonlight monument tour, and several unique museums including the Spy Museum and the Museum of Illusions. 

All of our groups had the opportunity to meet with Hutchison alumnae along the way. Mary Aubrey Stafford ’10 and Dr. Ring joined the global civic engagement and entrepreneurship cohorts in Washington, D.C., for a gathering of alums and current students. In Chicago, Kate Taylor Battle ’02 met up with our STEM cohort at Resource Innovations, a women-led energy transformation firm, and Gabriela Alvergue ’13 gave students in the arts and design cohort a tour of Gensler, a design and architecture firm. “Art and design come in various forms and career paths, and I’m glad I could introduce the students to a career in architecture and design while learning about their interests. I love being connected with Hutchison beyond graduation and helping to grow our network across the country,” Alvergue said.