Rising Juniors Learn and Explore on myExperience Trip to Miami

The STEM, global civic engagement, entrepreneurship, and art and design cohorts experienced the city through a wide variety of immersive, hands-on activities tied to their areas of study. With support from Hutchison faculty, our girls planned the trip and took charge. Each cohort researched experiences in Miami, determined what they wanted to do, made reservations, planned out their transportation, and budgeted and tracked all of their expenses.

“The most valuable thing I learned was how much planning goes into travel, from deciding how much can be fit into one day to the forms of transportation needed to reach your destination,” Peyton Gabel ’27 said.

Our girls got a firsthand look at marine life, delved into Miami’s vibrant design and history, and learned about the operations of the FedEx Latin American headquarters. A meaningful experience for the STEM cohort was a behind-the-scenes look at an escape room. After successfully escaping one room, they got the opportunity to visit all the other rooms as well as the control room. 

“Not only did it help us learn problem-solving skills, but it also brought all of us closer together. We praised each other when we did well and provided reassurance when we were stuck,” Gracie Lirette ’27 said.

Our girls took in Miami’s culture through a Little Havana food tour and visits to the Bayside Marketplace, and they enjoyed outdoor adventures including kayaking in South Miami Beach and boat tours of Miami Bay and Everglades National Park. They also made time to give back to the community they were visiting through a DIY beach cleanup and service at Feeding South Florida. Touring the University of Miami made a memorable impact on Taylor Lanctot ’27. “This helped me gain a better understanding of what I want in college. It allowed me to see what my future could look like,” she said.

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 while teaching invaluable life lessons.

“During this trip, sometimes things didn’t go as planned. We, as young adults, learned to push through difficulties and make quick decisions in real time in order to keep going,” Gracie said. “These are valuable skills, as real life is not always as you plan. This trip taught many of us to think on our feet and that there is always another way. You just have to look for it.”