An outstanding student, avid reader, star volleyball player, and strong leader, Layla Truitt lives up to the Hutchison mission of showing girls they can go anywhere they can imagine.
Since coming to Hutchison in 6th grade, Layla has continued to discover her passions both in and out of the classroom. During 7th grade when girls are required to choose Spanish or Chinese to study, Layla says it was a no-brainer which one she would select. “When I walked into Chinese class, something clicked, and I have loved learning the language ever since.” Now as a junior, she is enrolled in Advanced Honors Chinese and is on track to take AP Chinese next year.
In addition to Chinese, Layla’s class schedule is stacked with AP Environmental Science, AP Government, and AP Language & Composition. And her extracurricular schedule is just as impressive. She serves as the communications officer for the Honor Council and is a member of the Chinese Club, Bee Outdoors Club, and Library Advisory Board Club. Her passion for reading is well known as some staff members even go to her for book recommendations, and she says sci-fi/fantasy is her favorite genre. “My love for reading really came out in middle school. In Ms. McCausland’s 8th grade English class, she gave us a challenge of reading 25 books, and I ended up reading 100 books that year. I just love the story that comes from a good book.”
Perhaps her greatest passion outside of school is volleyball. She plays for the Hutchison varsity team and for the Memphis Metro club team. She has been playing the sport for six years and currently spends about 10-12 hours a week either practicing or participating in games. “I love the camaraderie and team aspect of the sport. In volleyball, you can’t play by yourself. It is a true team sport. Every time I step on to the court with my teammates, I feel that adrenaline rush and know we are in this together, and we can do whatever we want as a team.”
Layla is a hard worker and dedicated to always doing her best. She says Hutchison has played a great part in helping her try new things and manage such a full schedule. “I am at a loss for words when I think about my Hutchison experience. Every level of my school has prepared me to be the person I am today. Every year since I have been here, I have become a better, more well-rounded person. All the teachers and faculty have played a major part in that.”
Fifteen-year student Emmy Walton ’23 has put her heart into becoming a rocket scientist one day. After developing her interests in science and math through various STEM opportunities at Hutchison, she will follow her dreams at one of the nation’s top schools for engineering, Purdue University.
The National Merit Finalist was challenged by Hutchison’s various academic and extracurricular activities. From the tennis court to the courtroom to the classroom, Sarah is a well-rounded, hardworking Hutchison student who lives up to the school’s mission of inspiring girls to go anywhere they can imagine.
Eve-Elyse Hall ’23 has been known for setting up her teammates on the volleyball court throughout an excellent high school career. Now she’s setting herself up for a bright future after choosing to sign to play volleyball at Asbury University in Kentucky.
Hutchison world language students participated in the 2023 U of M Language Fair, sponsored by The University of Memphis Department of World Languages and Literatures. Demonstrating their knowledge of Spanish and Chinese, Hutchison had a total of 21 students win awards at the fair.
Note to the State of Tennessee: If you want to get legislation passed, put Hutchison girls in charge! Seventeen juniors wrote and presented six bills at the YMCA Youth in Government conference in Nashville. All of the bills made it onto the Senate and House dockets, and one was signed into law.
JK girls aren’t scared of these bones! They were fearless and loved being scientists as they took a closer look at the animal bone collection of Lauren Pharr Parks ’02, alumna and mom to Patty Mae ’36.
Seven upper school students will participate in high-intensity summer programs in subjects including computational physics, international studies, and visual arts at universities across the state.
Kendyl Brown ’23 took a leap of faith in auditioning for her first production at Hutchison in middle school. That first step sparked a love of theatre, and now she is pursuing a career in acting thanks to encouragement and experience from Hutchison’s theatre department.
Dabney Roberts Ring ’90 joined Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s staff in January 2016. She is currently a Senior Policy Officer and the Federal Relations Lead on Mayor Strickland’s intergovernmental team. She helped build an immersive internship for Hutchison senior Katie Frazer ’23.
Each year, Hutchison seniors on the Philanthropic Literacy Board research community needs and decide how to allocate grant money to local nonprofits that focus on those issues.
As eighth graders study the Holocaust, they got a unique opportunity to hear from a Hutchison staff member and her father about her grandparents' story of survival.
Anna-Margaret Webber '23 became the latest member of the Hutchison lacrosse team to earn a college scholarship as she signed to play for Rollins College.
Natalie Alexander ’25 is the first recipient of the award. She was chosen because she exhibits characteristicsthe award’s namesake, Dot Jones Hammons ’76, has demonstrated throughout her life: intellectual curiosity, steadfastness, loyalty, kindness, and compassion.