Emma Nair '19 Finds Wonderful Balance of Leadership, Arts, and Passion for Psychology
Have you ever thought about why people vote or how empathetic people are?
It’s something that Emma Nair ’19 thinks about, and she learned more about it this summer at “Compassion Camp,” a week-long program in Eugene, Oregon, that featured psychologists from all around the world.
“They talked about why people give and vote, how people spend money and why, as well as other topics such as biases in donating, nuclear war, climate change, and refugees,” Emma said.
After Compassion Camp, Emma spent time in a social cognition lab with Dr. Sara Hodges at the University of Oregon. She worked on research focused on empathic accuracy, or the ability to accurately infer another person’s thoughts.
Her work involved measuring empathy and what people were thinking. “For instance, one experiment involved having people guess what someone else is thinking, and then grading how accurate they are, which translated to how empathetic they were to a certain person,” Emma said. “I knew what the person was thinking, so I could say how accurate the guesses were on a scale from 0 to 3.”
To meet a need for interests in psychology at Hutchison, Emma founded the Psychology Club, a place where students can learn about the different values of psychology.
“The goal is to have discussions about job opportunities and research methods that we might not discuss in class,” she said. “I wanted a place where people who have similar interests could talk with others.”
Emma's interest in psychology helps when she gets into character for theater. She is involved in both the Hutchison and Memphis University School theater programs and recently played the role of Erzulie in Hutchison's production of Once on This Island. Emma also enjoys singing and was named 8th chair, second soprano in the 2018-2019 All-West Choir. Don't miss seeing her perform in our Winter Music Concert on Wednesday!
Dakota Shelton ’21, who is studying political science and Latin American studies at Tulane University, is spending the fall semester in Chile after receiving a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship.
Hutchison Now highlights recent graduates early in their careers who embody how a Hutchison education can lead anywhere you can imagine. We spoke with Brittany-Rae Gregory Rivers ’08, Communications Director for Next Century Cities in Washington, D.C.
About four minutes into her 2017 TEDx talk, Dr. Lauren Pharr Parks ’02 jokes that if you’re ever on a bad first date, you might reference her TED talk and likely never have to worry about the potential suitor giving you another call. It’s not because her talk isn’t interesting. After all, it has nearly a million and a half views on TED.com.
A collection of plein-air oil paintings by Sally Hughes Smith ’64 is on display at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens through October 1. Smith credits Hutchison with inspiring her to become an artist.
“I always had a sense that I was meant to be an attorney. It was like a calling I had at a young age,” said Noor Obaji ’10. “It was kind of an idea that my parents put in my head when I was younger. They said, ‘Oh, you’re really good at arguing,’ which is a nice way of saying that I was argumentative and opinionated.”
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.