Girls like Porter Johnson excel through our Hutchison Leads program. Read about how Porter started her own year-long independent study project on development in Memphis after a well-established background in volunteering throughout the community as a Rogers Scholar.
Porter Johnson worked with Hutchison Leads Director Kathryn Jasper to create Advanced Honors Public Policy, a unique year-long independent study. Jasper noticed Porter’s passion for and commitment to serving the community since her freshman year and was eager to help her create an opportunity to cultivate it through the Rogers Scholars Program.
Prior to the study, Porter had developed a strong passion and knowledge of the Memphis community through her extensive work with several midsouth organizations including Bridges and Streets Ministries. She explored her passion for literacy further through her experience tutoring with Memphis Teacher Residency Reads program and at Sherwood Elementary. Porter also co-wrote an article featured in 4Memphis Magazine about her work with the Family Safety Center, where she donated her Rogers Scholars Award grant.
During her class experience, she collected data and history of the city to identify the issues she wanted to research throughout the year. Next, diving into public policy, Porter analyzed areas of the community based on sustainability, education, Public Health, Economy, Population, and Revitalization. In her final portion of the course, she focused largely on Revitalization, which involved more research on funding structure and neighborhood, interviews, and a culminating project of creating her own Neighborhood Revitalization Approach.
A standout in serving her community, Porter was also awarded the Rogers Scholar Award for Service and the Laura Hampton Rogers Community Commitment Award. Porter will study Political Science with an emphasis on Public Policy on a pre-law path at Clemson University in the fall of 2017.
In these student-led R.E.A.L. discussions, our fourth graders sharpen their conversation skills while learning to support their ideas with evidence and think critically.
Through years of theatre, dance, music, and leadership in the arts, Chloe Simpson ’25 found confidence, community, and her voice. From the stage to the classroom, she embraced every opportunity to grow as a performer, student, and civic thinker.
Maggie’s interest in environmental science and forestry has grown through hands-on learning, inspiring mentors, and community involvement. After 15 years at Hutchison, she’s ready to turn her curiosity and love for learning into real-world impact.
Hutchison Now highlights graduates early in their careers who embody how a Hutchison education can lead anywhere you can imagine. We spoke with Mallory Mullis '18, Manager of Leadership Programs at the Dallas Regional Chamber.
Hutchison world language students participated in the 2025 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 nine upper school girls win awards at the fair.
Yes, egg prices are high, according to our fifth graders’ research! Their Mean Monday activity tracking grocery store prices was highlighted on WREG News Channel 3.
Carpe diem! Demonstrating their enthusiasm for Latin and Roman culture, Hutchison had several students win awards at the Tennessee Junior Classical League Convention.
Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test—these are the five steps of design thinking that our lower school girls live by in the Design Lab with academic technology specialist Jennifer Stover.
Our innovative middle school STEM explorations class is designed to inspire young girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Through exposure to different types of STEM-adjacent careers and visits from professionals working in STEM careers, we hope to encourage the next generation of female leaders in these fields.
Louise Smythe ’06, who works as a storyboard artist at Pixar Animation Studios and contributed to “Inside Out 2” credits her time at Hutchison for building her confidence and skills.