National Merit Finalist Embodies Dynamic Hutchison Girl

During her 15 years at Hutchison, senior Anne Grinder has discovered a great deal about what she loves.
This past summer Anne had a five-week long internship with Civil Engineering Solutions to work as a subcontractor for Smith, Seckman, Reid, Inc. She spent that time helping with contracts, redesigning drainage systems, and checking the state of drainage in streams. "The person I was working under was a really awesome role model, so it was great to get to work with her,” Anne said. “It helped me solidify that I want to major in civil engineering." This was a great experience for Anne, who used this work as her capstone project for the Hutchison Science Research Fellows program.
 
In addition to being a budding engineer, Anne is an accomplished artist. Her artwork was recognized in the 2018 Mid-South Scholastic Art Awards competition in the drawing and illustrations category.

Anne appreciates how Hutchison is small enough that everyone knows each other, but big enough to have the resources to explore a variety of interests. At Hutchison, she is the president of the Honor Council, a group that upholds Hutchison’s Honor Code, and is the vice president of Rogers Scholars, a Hutchison program designed to offer civic-minded students the chance to research and study issues that greatly impact the Memphis community. “We get to see Memphis from the inside,” Anne said. “I want to go off to college and have a really different experience and then bring that back to Memphis.”
 
Anne is also a talented athlete, with four years of varsity volleyball and tennis under her belt. She was a finalist for the Commercial Appeal Girls Tennis Player of the Year her junior year. “I love my teammates, and playing sports has definitely been a big part of my high school experience,” Anne said.
 
She is a recipient of the Harvard University Book Award, a highly selective honor for outstanding students who have demonstrated excellence in scholarship and achievement in service and leadership. She is also a member of the Science National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, and the National Art Society.

When Anne is not busy with her studies, she visits the residents of St. Peter Villa retirement home with her certified therapy dog, Chief. “I love my work there,” she said. “It is particularly energizing to me, because I feel like I'm really making a difference."
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