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.”
Elizabeth Austin ’20, a junior at Middlebury College in Vermont, has been selected for a Udall Foundation Scholarship. She will receive a $7,000 grant to focus on her research in the emerging field of conservation paleontology.
Rising juniors and seniors who are part of four myExperience cohorts in Hutchison's Institute for Responsible Citizenship – global civic engagement, entrepreneurship, STEM, and art and design – explored their respective fields of study on trips to New York and Boston.
The 15-year student and recent recipient of the Ideal Hutchison Girl Award credits Hutchison for providing opportunities for her to delve deeper into her interests and helping her become a strong student and creative innovator.
The National Merit Finalist and 15-year student has distinguished herself by pursuing challenging academic opportunities in math and science and following her various interests along the way. She credits Hutchison for fostering her intellectual curiosity and love of learning.
Fifteen-year student and National Merit Commended Student Brooke Fair ’23 is an award-winning singer-songwriter who has released an album, an EP, and several singles all before graduating high school. This talented artist also is a dedicated student whose music accomplishments have come while achieving academic success.
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.