Hutchison Magazine - December 2022

a Voice at the Table

Cover photo by Timothy Devine

Photo

dear friends,

What does it mean to have a seat at the table?

To me, it means being willing to think critically as well as creatively, to practice empathy and vulnerability, and to find ways to forge connections and relationships through differences. It means having a point of view and being receptive to others, knowing how to debate constructively, being courageous enough to take risks, and understanding when a compromise is the best solution. Getting a seat at the table requires hard work, integrity, humility, curiosity, and respect. It comes with responsibility.

You’ll notice that the stories in this issue revolve around the ideas of public service, mentorship, and responsible citizenship. Three of the alumnae profiled live, study, and work in Washington, D.C.We took this focus because we realize the importance of responsible citizenship in our country and our world. We know that learning at Hutchison is not contained within the walls of our campus. It’s important for our girls to know and interact with Hutchison women who are making an impact and to see what is possible personally and professionally

This issue also spotlights alumnae in different stages of their lives. Maxine Engel ’21 is attending George Washington University and studying public health with an interest in policy and law. Allison Blankenship’12 has committed her10 years since graduating from Hutchison to working in the political arena, spending the last five years working in the U.S. House of Representatives. Dabney Roberts Ring’90 helps Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland shape the narrative around his local, state, and federal policy agendas. Elizabeth Hays Taylor’94 moved to D.C. right out of college and worked for 10 years on the Hill before moving into advocacy for the private sector. Each brings a different perspective to the table, and they remain committed to their work.

We all have different seats at different tables. I hope that you remain committed to making positive change in the world.

Warmly, Kristen Ring, Ed.D. | President and Head of School

MISSION

Hutchison School is dedicated to academic excellence and to the parallel development of mind, body, and spirit as it educates young women for success in college and for lives of integrity and responsible citizenship.

HUTCHISON MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2022

PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF SCHOOL Kristen D. Ring, Ed.D.

EDITOR

Max Maddock

Director of Communications mmaddock@hutchisonschool.org

CONSULTING EDITOR

Lori Guy Director of Strategy lguy@hutchisonschool.org

ALUMNAE DIRECTOR Mary Aubrey Landrum Stafford ’10 mstafford@hutchisonschool.org

DESIGNER Barbara Himber

PHOTOGRAPHY

Cathy Barber, Jessica Coulson, Timothy Devine, Brandon Dill, Danielle Katz, Nick Simpson, and various Hutchison constituents.

Hutchison Magazine is published by the Hutchison Communications Office.

Please forward address changes to: HUTCHISON SCHOOL 1740 RIDGEWAY ROAD MEMPHIS, TN 38119 or khouston@hutchisonschool.org

Are You Following Us?

Joe Koelsch, a National Expert in Illustrative Math, Publishes in Leading

Blog

Seventh grade math teacher Joe Koelsch, a national expert in Illustrative Math, shared his insight in the IM Certified Blog. He wrote that Illustrative Math’s focus on understanding processes, not just the pursuit of a right answer, can be a game-changer for math students. Hutchison teachers in K through 7 use the problem-based curriculum known for balancing rigor, usability, and comprehension of fundamental math standards.

for Educators

Hutchison Faculty Present at Conferences

Katy Nair

Louisa Koeppel

Hutchison faculty are sharing their expertise. Pictured above, Bonner Morgan ’12, Data Analyst/Test Prep Specialist; Makayla Boswell, Institute for Responsible Citizenship Coordinator/Hutchison Leads Assistant Director; and Nick Simpson, Director of the Institute for Responsible Citizenship, presented about the myExperience program and the Institute fo Responsible Citizenship at the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools Biennial Conference in Chattanooga. Upper school assistant head Katy Nair presented at the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools Educating Girls Symposium in Nashville. Dance teacher Louisa Koeppel presented at the National Dance Education Organization Conference in Atlanta.

Two Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists

Sarah Bartusch ’23 and Eleanor Merchant ’23 (above, from left) have been named National Merit Semifinalists based on their junior year PSAT scores. They will now advance to compete for finalist status. Emmy Walton ’23 and Brooke Fair ’23 were recognized as Commended Students. This allows them to qualify for special scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.

College Board Recognition

The College Board named senior Antonella Lejwa ’23 a National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar. The program recognizes academically exceptional Hispanic students who have scored in the top 10 percent of the state on the PSAT or earned a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP exams by their junior year. To qualify, they must also have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.

Hutchison Hosts Exchange Students

This fall, Hutchison hosted five exchange students from Guatemala: Estephanía, Pilar, María, and Fryda in upper school and Irene in middle school. For seven weeks, the girls stayed with Hutchison host families, attended classes, and enjoyed extracurricular pursuits as they learned more about our city and nation. Hutchison also is hosting senior Alexandra Peet from the U.K. for the school year. Peet is staying with a different senior class member’s family each quarter.

Alexandra Peet

Arrow Creative Residency

Kennedy Adeogba ’23 and Alex Beard ’23 are exploring their creativity and growing their businesses through the AutoZone Youth Creative Entrepreneurship Residency program at Arrow Creative. Adeogba crochets and knits, and Beard is a comic maker and portrait painter. They are given free studio space to grow their businesses, mentorships to develop their skills, and materials stipends to continue to create and sell their products in the space.

Emma

Couch ’23 Gets

Hands-On Experience on Medical Mission Trip

As the only high school student on her medical mission trip to southern Peru with Global Medical Training over the summer, Emma Couch ’23 helped care for over 500 patients while getting hands-on medical experience. Global Medical Training is an international humanitarian organization that provides free medical care to underserved communities in Central America. For a week, Couch volunteered at medical clinics.

Hutchison

Williams ’23

conducted an interview with Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu, an educator, human rights activist, ordained minister, and daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. In her speech, Rev. Tutu said she was “blown away” by Williams’ questions. Williams will write an article for the student-run publication.

Melissa

gave our seniors a crash course in doing their taxes. Her goal was for seniors to understand how taxes are spent, identify different types of payroll deductions, and learn what factors can affect their taxes and tax return.

Signpost editor Lacy

(above, left)

Hutchison Chief Financial Officer

Baker

Kennedy Adeogba ’23

Alex Beard ’23

Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu

Three Seniors Sign to Play Collegiate Sports

Seniors Kolby Cohen, Berklee Scifres, and Morgan Simmons signed National Letters of Intent to continue their athletic careers in college. Kolby will play lacrosse at Florida Southern College, Berklee will play basketball at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and Morgan will play golf at Oklahoma Baptist University.

Middle School Tennis Team Finishes Strong

Our middle school tennis team had a successful season, ending as Shelby League and Silver Division State Champions. The team won their division in the USTA Tennessee TMSAA State Championships in Clarksville over fall break. They also were the undefeated middle school Shelby League regular season champions. In the Shelby League tournament, our girls won the team, singles, and doubles titles. Elizabeth Dunavant ’27 and Ann Smith ’28 placed 1st and 2nd in singles, and Maggie Mavar ’28 and Emerson Jones ’27 won doubles.

Girls Help Create Mural for Trezevant

Varsity Soccer Advances to State Tournament

Hutchison students in our She Leads program worked with Memphis potter Kristi Duckworth to create a mosaic mural to be displayed in the Trezevant Memory Unit. They interviewed Trezevant residents and listened as they recounted stories about their early years, the only vivid memories left for most residents in that unit. Most of their subjects grew up in the surrounding rural areas before coming to Memphis as young adults, so the mural depicts how “all roads lead to Memphis.”

After a tied quarterfinal match, the Hutchison varsity soccer team connected on nine penalty kicks to advance to the state semifinal in Chattanooga against Girls Preparatory School. The team put up an incredible fight but lost to GPS in overtime.

Meriel Rowland ’24 finished first overall in the St. Jude Marathon 10K race with a time of 39:05. Congratulations Meriel! We are proud of the many students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumnae who ran to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Photo courtesy of St. Jude

Lacrosse Wall Offers New Practice Space

Cross Country Competes in State Championship Lacrosse Coach to be Inducted into Tennessee Lacrosse Hall of Fame

The Keras Complex Lacrosse Skills Wall and Training Facility was opened in September. This space gives our student-athletes the chance to develop key lacrosse skills. JJ and Jay Keras, parents to Coco ’28, and Lauren and Ben Keras, parents to Jane ’26, Molly ’30, and Nellie ’26, generously donated the facility in honor of their daughters.

Hutchison Lacrosse Head Coach David Gearhardt was named a member of the inaugural class of inductees to the Tennessee Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a select group of historically significant contributors to lacrosse in Tennessee. He has led the Sting to five state championships as assistant coach and three as head coach.

Eleanor Bridgforth ’23, Sara Byrnes ’23, Katie Frazer ’23, Joy Hillyer ’25, Jane Keras ’26, Stephanie Park ’25, and Meriel Rowland ’24 qualified to run in the state championship meet in November in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Congratulations to Meriel Rowland ’24 for placing third with a time of 18:58 in the 5K run.

Robin Hanna

Jennifer Childress

Kenneth Lee Molly Bond

Lisa Campbell ’01Maureen Collins

Savannah McCauslandTiffany Paulette

Ann Alise Hayden

Amy Sowell

Mary Nelson

Loraine Galbreath ’67

Mary Lee WesberryNicole Wheaton

James Ross

Tracey Zerwig Ford

Cathy Barber

Kenna Chelsoi

Caroline Willson

Lynn Tian

Matt Braby

Shannon Manzi

e Hutchison board of trustees is the guardian of the school’s mission. In partnership with the head of school, the board sets the vision and strategy for the school and ensures sound nancial management and proper stewardship of resources.

Dr. Kristen Ring

PRESIDENT & HEAD OF SCHOOL

Megan Wellford Grinder ’91 CHAIR

Edward J. Dobbs

VICE CHAIR

William R. Tayloe

TREASURER

Ragan Crawford Magness ’88

SECRETARY

Emily Bryce Bowie ’00

Jenny Werner Carter ’89

Allison Cates

Dr. Reginald W. Coopwood

Chris Crosby

Will Deupree III

Jason Higginbotham

Betsy Horn

Dr. Shari Jefferies

Hardin Barton Kimmel ’92

Veazey Gully Krausnick ’78

Andrew R. McCarroll

Michelle Nelson Miller ’84

Richard C. Moore, Jr.

Sequoia Taylor ’04

Todd Watson

Craig L. Weiss

McLean T. Wilson

Julie Aaron Wunderlich

Paul A. Young

2022 - 2023 LEADERSHIP TEAM

Great schools are distinguished by exceptional teamwork and collaboration across the organization. Our faculty and sta are led by a dynamic group of individuals known as our leadership team under the guidance of the head of school.

Dr. Kristen Ring

PRESIDENT & HEAD OF SCHOOL

Catherine Chubb

ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dr. Alyssa Villarreal ACADEMIC DEAN Elizabeth Chisholm

Jordan ’86

EARLY CHILDHOOD HEAD

Katharine Duerr Kent ’95

LOWER SCHOOL HEAD

Trey Wilson

MIDDLE SCHOOL HEAD

Adrienne Forgette

UPPER SCHOOL HEAD

Tonya Faulkner

DIRECTOR OF STUDENT INCLUSION & BELONGING

Tracey Zerwig Ford

DIRECTOR OF ARTS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Nick Simpson

DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE FOR RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP

Caroline Schaefer ’08 ATHLETICS DIRECTOR

Melissa Baker CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Lori Guy DIRECTOR OF STRATEGY

Max Maddock DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Laura Shy ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR

Board of Trustees & Leadership Team

Hutchison appreciates the service of our retiring board members: Melissa Conrad Grimes ’87, Kim Crain Lowrance ’86, Amy Rolfes Poag ’92, and Muffy Farnsworth Turley ’88. The board welcomes the following new members: Jason Higginbotham, Betsy Horn, Hardin Barton Kimmel ’92, and Julie Aaron Wunderlich.

Jason Higginbotham

Betsy Horn

Hardin Barton Kimmel ’92Julie Aaron Wunderlich

for a magical run of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella came true! The all-school production had four wonderful performances in the Wiener Theater and featured beautiful singing, intensive choreography, and spectacular transformations. From woodland creatures to townspeople to the future princess herself, more than 70 girls in grades 1–12 worked to bring their characters and this magical story to life on the Wiener Theater stage, with another 20 students working as crew to make sure things went like clockwork. Congratulations to the students, faculty, and staff who were involved in this production.

Photos by Nick Simpson

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.

Photo by Jessica Coulson

An Alumna Fosters Civic Engagement

Helping a Hutchison Student Gain Real-World Experience

by Conchita Topinka

Can an internship spark a young person’s interests enough to launch a meaningful career? The answer is “yes.” And Dabney Roberts Ring ’90, who has spent more than 25 years in public service, is Exhibit A.

Ring went from writing for the school newspaper and an early interest in politics to shaping the narrative around Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s local, state, and federal policy agendas. Part of the mayor’s intergovernmental team, Ring serves as the Senior Policy Officer and the Federal Relations Lead.

Her first foray into politics was a 1992 legislative internship in Nashville during her junior year at the University of Memphis. That’s where she met then-State Senator Steve Cohen, the U.S. Congressman for whom she would work full time during the next 20 years in campaign finance administration. She eventually became Congressman Cohen’s campaign finance director.

Ring caught the politics bug during that internship and has never looked back. When she took Hutchison senior Katie Frazer ’23 under her wing for an internship this past summer, she saw an opportunity to help inspire another young woman’s interest in how government serves the greater good.

“Once you get involved in politics, it’s easier to see the benefit of politics and the benefit of government. I think exposing someone early on to politics and the way that government can work helps combat some of the misconceptions that exist about government,” said Ring. “Katie will be able to say, ‘I was in city hall, and they talked about addressing issues such as trash pickup all the time!’ ” laughed Ring.

“I like the many ways you can solve problems by making different policies that benefit a lot of people at once,” said Frazer, who is contemplating studying international business and public policy.

In her current role as senior policy officer, Ring advances Mayor Strickland’s agendas at the state and federal levels. “I go to Nashville from January until the last day of the legislative session, and I work with our legislators, ensuring that the mayor’s agenda is being worked on and that we are receiving the necessary funding,” said Ring. “As the federal lead for intergovernmental, I work with our federal lobbyists on new opportunities for funding, legislation, and relationships with our congressional delegation. I am also monitoring grant releases from the federal government, sending notifications to our city divisions and following up to make sure we are applying for all available grants.”

Although she is entrenched in policy on a daily basis, when Ring learned Frazer had covered policy issues earlier in the summer as a participant in the Trent Lott Leadership Institute at the University of Mississippi, she decided to build the internship around civic engagement.

“It’s amazing to watch at a fundamental level how everyday citizens come together to make government better. That was one of the things I really wanted Katie to see. Talk about getting involved in the process!” said Ring. Frazer worked with staff reviewing membership for the 45 citizen boards and commissions that the mayor appoints, subject to Council approval, to review citywide issues related to everything from storm water to historical landmarks.

“Periodically, new members are named to these boards and current members either resign or their term expires. We were collaborating, trying to figure out which boards needed a change in membership,” said Frazer. “It takes skill to effectively set up a board that will benefit the best interests of the people of the city. It’s not just whoever is the mayor’s best friend.”

ALUMNA

“I thought it was important for Katie to see the range of people who are involved in government,” said Ring, explaining that the boards are citizen-based and make recommendations. Some require subject matter experts, such as engineers or architects.

That Hutchison foundation has served Ring well, as she navigates the sometimes perilous waters of partisan politics, negotiates, and balances competing interests amid a finite pool of resources. Dabney Ring has found her place in the world of politics, just as

PAYING IT FORWARD

“I’ve always wanted to give back to Hutchison. The thing I appreciated most about Hutchison was that there was a place for everybody. Sometimes school, especially high school, can be hard because you’re just finding your place and things don’t always fit. I wouldn’t say I was an oddball, but I was never the traditionally popular Hutchison girl,” said Ring. “I still found my place. I had friends, I was involved in theatre, and I was involved in the newspaper.”

she found her place at Hutchison years ago. Now, she’s ready to pay it forward.

“This is a real job. It’s not a volunteer gig. If I can show how someone can go from the Gov Club or the school newspaper to finding a passion and being involved in politics, I want to do that,” said Ring. “Maybe I can give back to the Dabney of the Class of ‘Whenever.’ That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Photo by Jessica Coulson

“ If I can show how someone can go from the Gov Club or the school newspaper to finding a passion and being involved in politics, I want to do that.”

— DABNEY RING ’90

STUDENT

“ I like the many ways you can solve problems by making different policies that benefit a lot of people at once.”

— KATIE FRAZER ’23

“

Your Expertise Can Help a Hutchison Girl

If we graduate girls who are curious, if we make curiosity the center of what we do through the Institute, we are hopefully going to deliver young women into this world who are ready and curious about how they can make it a better place.”

NICK SIMPSON | DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTE FOR

—

Through the Institute for Responsible Citizenship, upper school girls experience the intersection of civic engagement, compassionate leadership, and ethical decision-making in the context of responsible citizenship.

Building on Hutchison’s long tradition of empowering young women to lead, the Institute allows girls to discover how their individual talents and contributions can lead to rewarding careers and a life of purpose.

RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP

Please consider lending your expertise as a mentor to Hutchison School’s Institute for Responsible Citizenship.

The right mentor can make a big difference to an upper school girl exploring career options and ways to contribute to her community. You can choose the time commitment that fits your schedule.

Scan the code to complete an interest form.

Sara Byrnes ’23, left, interned at Shapiro and Company Architects.

Photo by Jessica Coulson

Opening Up a World of Opportunities

ONE OF THE BEST WAYS to narrow down career interests is through experience. We start this with our freshman who took a closer look at some career possibilities in a career exploration day. Our girls’ experiences were enriched by the many Hutchison alumnae who met with them, as well as individuals from other businesses and companies in the Memphis area. Hearing the experiences of people working in various fields is invaluable to our girls. Thank you to everyone who gave their time!

Over lunch, girls heard the experiences of two Hutchison alumnae who work in the legal field—Catherine Norton Simpson ’11, an associate at Bass, Berry & Sims, and Sarah Hearn Sexton ’15, an associate at Burch, Porter & Johnson.

Carie Balton McPhail ’03 provided Hutchison students with a glimpse of the world of training and wellness at Accel Performance and Wellness.

Noor Obaji ’10 talked with girls about her work as an associate at the law firm of Lewis Thomason

PLACES GIRLS VISITED WHILE EXPLORING CAREERS

ATHLETICS

• Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics and Accel Performance and Wellness (Carie Balton McPhail ’03)

• Memphis 901 FC and the Memphis Redbirds

• Lunch with alumna Susannah Herring ’96

BUSINESS & FINANCE

• Raymond James (Chloe Baker Plunk ’05)

• Women’s Business Center South

• Epicenter Memphis

DESIGN

• Memphis Botanic Garden

• Arrow Creative

• Crump Firm

HEALTH & WELLNESS

• University of Memphis Campus Recreation Tiger Food Lab

• Trezevant Manor

• Lunch with alumnae Pam Patteson Shumake ’88 and Amy Rolfes Poag ’92

ENGINEERING

• Grinder Taber & Grinder

• Medtronic

JOURNALISM

• WKNO

• River City Lifestyle (Christian Tabor Owen ’85)

• The Commercial Appeal

LEGAL

• Lewis Thomason (Noor Obaji ’10)

• Community Legal Center

• Lunch/Discussion with Catherine Norton Simpson ’11 and Sarah Hearn Sexton ’15

MEDICAL

• Baptist Memorial Hospital for Women

• ZupMed (Liz Wilder Lemley ’05 and Katherine Ray ’05)

• Medtronic

• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (Lynn Witte Rodriguez ’78, Kate Carruthers ’10, and Sophie Davidoff ’11)

Chloe Baker Plunk ’05, Director, Fixed Income Sales at Raymond James Financial, provided an overview of the finance industry.

Lynn Witte Rodriguez ’78, Kate Carruthers ’10, and Sophie Davidoff ’11, all nurse practitioners at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, described the important work they do at the hospital.

Counselors Amy Rolfed Poag ’92 LPC-MHSP and Pam Paterson Shumake ’88 LCSW checked in with girls for a wellness lunch.

Bigger Than a Basketball Player

THE PERSEVERANCE OF A LEADER BOTH ON AND OFF THE COURT

by Peter Edmiston

If you want to see Coach Thomas Jones light up, ask him about Maxine Engel ’21 and her journey from a rising ninth grader with a broken leg to a senior walking away as a State Champion. “You know how most coaches say, ‘I helped a kid?’ Well, she helped me. Helped me grow as a coach. “When Maxine was a freshman, I told Caroline Schaefer [now athletics director] and Kristen Ring, head of school, ‘Remember that name: Maxine Engel.’ It wasn’t that I thought she was the best basketball player. She’s a great player, don’t get me wrong, but I wish I could create something like the Hall of Fame of Character. That whole group had amazing character, and she was the leader,” said Jones.

High praise, indeed, but fitting for a leader both on and off the court, who helped her team navigate COVID and end her senior season with an epic Cinderella story. Now majoring in public health with an interest in policy and law at George Washington University, Engel continues to display the same level of confidence and tenacity. She is studying different aspects of our healthcare system, and has visited Capitol Hill to meet

with leaders about Title IX issues. Her development into a champion wasn’t inevitable, though. It required effort, perseverance, and more than a little help from those around her.

Engel’s basketball career started early, in elementary school. After graduating from Grace St. Luke’s, when the time came to find a high school, Engel admits she and her parents had reservations about Hutchison. Maxine’s father, Randy, said as soon as they got to campus, they began to realize how wrong they were. “We went through the process, toured the facility, and met with some folks,” he said. “As we walked out, Maxine’s mother looked at me with a smile and said, ‘I’m blown away.’ ” Maxine herself said, “Everyone was so friendly and genuine. I knew Hutchison was the place I wanted to be.”

Engel arrived on campus injured, after an accident in the summer left her with a broken tibia and fibula in her left leg. On top of that, several key seniors had departed the program, meaning that Engel and her young teammates had a lot to deal with in a short period of time. In the first game of the season, Hutchison lost to Nashville’s Father Ryan 33-11.

Maxine Engel ’21 practicing with Sting teammate Kiya Brown ’21 and Coach Thomas Jones.

“ Coach Jones had extreme confidence in me and the players who were around me ... I think that helped me grow confidence in myself. “ — MAXINE ENGEL

Photo by Brandon Dill

Photo by Timothy Devine

There was only one direction to go from there.

“I think Coach Jones had extreme confidence in me and the players who were around me,” Engel said. “He showed love for all of us, and I think that helped me grow confidence in myself.” But growth isn’t necessarily linear. In their sophomore year, Engel and the Sting took a few steps forward, making it all the way to the state semifinals. That game ended in a 27-point loss to Ensworth. In the following season, they made it to state again— and faced Ensworth again—but this time it was far worse, with the Sting losing by 62 points.

Suffering a defeat like that would have made it easy to give up. Engel did the opposite. She and fellow senior Carmyn Harrison ’21 called Jones the day after the Ensworth loss and told him they were willing to do what it took to succeed.

Then, like the rest of the world, the Sting team faced an unexpected opponent—COVID-19. Suddenly nothing was normal, but that didn’t stop Engel and her teammates from wanting to put together a historic senior season. Like so many others, they had to isolate, but Engel organized Zoom sessions with the senior players and Jones to make sure everyone was still on the same page. “Maxine formed the Zoom calls,” Jones said, amazed. “I didn’t even know how to Zoom yet!”

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure, the team agreed to limit themselves from going out. Any social function would have to be done as a group and only outside. “I said, ‘Let’s make a deal. You don’t go out. I don’t go out. If we go out, we go out together,’ ” Jones recalled. “They would have bonfires. They were smarter than most. They still wanted to hang out and figured out a way to do it together.”

Sacrificing social outings as a senior was incredibly difficult, but Engel did it in service of a bigger goal. That sacrifice went along with extra workouts in the mornings and brutal practices throughout the year. Maxine’s mother, Shawna, said she’d never seen anything like it: “That senior year, they were meeting at the gym at five in the morning. In my mind, I was thinking ‘Okay, do you need to do that?’ but they set a goal.”

That goal was a state championship. Hutchison made it to the state tournament again, and once again faced Ensworth, the two-time defending state champions that had beaten them badly in their previous two postseason meetings. “If you look at our history, Ensworth has always been the team that knocks us out of the tournament. We knew they were going to be a strong team, but we were prepared,” Jones said. The game ended up going into overtime tied at 48, but after the five extra minutes, Hutchison came out victorious.

Maxine Engel ’21 elected to walk on to the George Washington University Colonials basketball team as a freshman.

“ You’re able to truly be yourself at hutchison in all that you’re doing, and I think that has translated into how I am at George Washington.”

— MAXINE ENGEL ’21

“You don’t really think about what’s on the line when you’re in the game, you just play,” Engel said. “But after we won, I think that’s when we knew we had won the state title. Beating Ensworth was the championship in itself, just because that game had so much history tied to it.”

The next afternoon, Hutchison claimed its first-ever basketball state title with a win over Knoxville Catholic. Engel remembers the day well. “Going into the Knoxville Catholic game, we were supremely confident and ready to win. It happened so swiftly, so quickly, it was a very surreal moment when the buzzer went off. We finished the game

college experience. I wanted to be done with basketball,” she explained.

Engel’s uncertainty hit Jones hard. “I did a lot of praying. When there’s a kid you know can do something, and she says she doesn’t want to do it, you question everything. You question yourself. She looked me in the eye one day and said, ‘I don’t know if I want to keep playing, Coach.’ ”

After many conversations with her father, her mother, Jones, and coaches at her university, George Washington, Engel elected to walk on to the Colonials basketball team as a freshman. “I had this thought that I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn’t at least try,” Engel said. “I remember feeling this sense of relief after I made the decision. It was freeing to let myself come back to basketball on my own terms.”

Engel walked on at George Washington without any expectation of playing even a single minute. Within weeks of her freshman year, she was playing regularly. Jones had a feeling she would be.

Engel was placed on scholarship this past summer and is now a key member of a talented Colonials team. Off the court, she has spent time on Capitol Hill and is learning about Medicare, Medicaid, and other components of the nation’s healthcare system. Engel credits her Hutchison experience with preparing her in all facets of her life.

and looked at our phones. We got emails and texts; we saw Instagram videos of all the little girls at Hutchison watching our game and doing cheers. It was incredible.”

Shawna Engel said it was a moment she’d never forget. “They set a goal, and then they just went out and did it. I still get chills thinking about how her senior year ended up.”

“I like to always think anything is possible,” Maxine Engel reflected. “But I definitely was not expecting to come to Hutchison and win a state championship. I never imagined it would be that Cinderella story, especially since we had been dealing with COVID and the season was so hard for everyone. It couldn’t have ended any better.”

That championship, that COVID-affected season, took everything Engel had. “It was a hard year mentally, and I was done with the sport, or so I thought. I wanted a normal

“You’re able to truly be yourself at Hutchison in all that you’re doing, and I think that has translated into how I am at George Washington,” Engel said. “I have an ability to unwaveringly be myself and not worry if that’s what anyone else wants to see. That’s what I’ve grown up with. That’s how I’m most comfortable. Hutchison helped me build that foundation and the belief in myself, that I can put the best version of myself out into the world.

“From the teachers to the other students, everyone at Hutchison has supreme confidence in what you want to do, and they’re willing to talk to you about what’s going on in your life and how you’re doing. They’re always able to pick you up when you’re down or point out how hard you’ve been working. It goes a long way.”

None of Engel’s successes have come as a surprise to Jones. “She’s bigger than a basketball player. She’ll be a leader in this country one day, I guarantee it.”

“

She’s bigger than a basketball player. She’ll be a leader in this country one day, I guarantee it. ”

— COACH THOMAS JONES

Photo by Timothy Devine

a View from the Hill

"

by Max Maddock

Even before Hutchison, I was interested in politics,” recalled Allison Blankenship ’12. “Cable news was always on in our house. My parents and my godparents were wellinformed voters. When I came to Hutchison, the idea of learning about and giving back to your community became intertwined with an interest in politics for me.”

Photos by Timothy Devine

IT WAS A FIELD TRIP that kindled the spark. Blankenship was part of Rogers Scholars, a program that affords Hutchison students the opportunity to study issues that affect the City of Memphis and meet with leaders at local nonprofits. Blankenship remembered visiting Church Health, a faith-based healthcare nonprofit. “I was learning about public health and the access to public health or the lack thereof,” she said. “I realized that being in the public health sphere is also a form of public service. Rogers Scholars opened my eyes to the fact that there are many different ways to do public service and to give back to your community.”

Blankenship then had an opportunity to take a deeper dive. When a representative of the St. Albans School of Public Service visited Hutchison, she learned about the school’s fourweek, coeducational program for rising seniors interested in government, public policy, and public service. She couldn’t get to Washington, D.C., fast enough. “I met other kids who were just as excited about this topic as I was, and I had the opportunity to learn from them how they were involved in their own communities.”

During the four weeks, Blankenship and her summer classmates studied the differences in city, state, and federal governing and explored the variety of public service possibilities. They also heard from guest speakers such as Dr. Anthony Fauci (long before he was a household name), took tours of the Capitol, and met Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan. “It was definitely the best four weeks of my life,” she recalled.

Blankenship set her sights on a university in the D.C. area. She had applied to George Washington University and Georgetown, and was pretty set on attending GW. When she visited the Georgetown campus again, however, there was a vibe that struck her as right. “I felt this community, this sense that even in this crazy, chaotic city I could still find a community and find a place of belonging.” That sealed the deal and she ended up going to Georgetown and studying economics.

navigating the house of representatives

Even though it’s only been 10 years since Blankenship graduated from Hutchison, she has spent five of those years working on Capitol Hill in the U.S. House of Representatives. She started as a Staff Assistant and Legislative Correspondent, worked as a Legislative Aide and then Legislative Assistant, and is currently a Floor Assistant for the office of the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. With the results of the 2022 midterm elections, the Speakership will change.

"Rogers Scholars opened my eyes to the fact that there are many different ways to approach public service and to give back to your community.”

She readily admits there is no typical day when working on the Hill, but she and her team keep the House Floor running. This means supporting the day-to-day legislative functions, including determining when bills might come to the Floor, when they’ll convene, when a vote will happen, and when they’ll have a debate and for how long, among other things.

In her previous job as a Legislative Assistant, she often met with constituents and other stakeholders to hear about issues affecting their district or state. She would work with them to take ideas, turn those into amendments or a bill, and then bring that bill in front of committee and watch it get voted on. These days, as a Floor Assistant for the Speaker, her job is to take bills that have made it out of committee and work with the committee and the member’s staff to get the bill ready to bring to the House Floor for a vote. In a full-circle moment, she recently witnessed a bill she worked on in a previous job being voted on.

Much of what Blankenship does she’s learned on the fly. Learning the workings of Congress is complicated and takes time, and there isn’t much of a playbook. “Coming into Congress, there was no manual for how to do my job. I use a lot of the tools I gained at Hutchison about finding my own voice, standing up for what I believe in, standing up for myself, and not being afraid to ask a question,” Blankenship said. “Even though I might be the only woman in the room a lot of the time, and many times the only person of color, I’ve learned to be confident in what I have to say. Hutchison helped instill in me that confidence to speak up and be my own person.”

She also has learned how to think differently about sometimes being the only person of color in a room. “I’ve always been okay with raising my hand and saying ‘the answer is five,’ Blankenship said as an example. “But giving nuanced answers and giving answers that reflect and put a spotlight on my identity has been harder for me to come to terms with. Now it’s something that I love about myself. My favorite thing that I bring to the room is my identity, who I am, my personality, the lens through which I see the world. I’m no longer afraid to speak up and give those nuanced points of view anymore, because the world needs that now more than ever.”

Still, Blankenship admits being completely comfortable in her identity is not something she’s perfected. While she’s more at ease with it now than 10 years ago, it is still a muscle she has to exercise. She has worked hard to find other women, and other Black women, on the Hill from whom to elicit support. She also looks to her mother, who works as a corporate attorney for a bank.

“My first role model has always been my mom. She’s another Black woman making her way through corporate America. I’ve watched her navigate that, and I’ve seen the obstacles that she’s overcome, all while raising a family. That’s been incredible and inspiring to me. My mom is my rock.”

what inspires her

A guiding force that Blankenship brings to the table is a desire to help other people. “I always remind myself, ‘I’m here because I want to make a difference,’ ” she explained. “I’m here because at the end of the day, the work that we do in Congress matters, and the work that we do here makes a difference. It’s always about the people who we serve. I keep that in mind no matter what. It sounds cliché and like something a politician would say, but it’s true for me when I think about how much policy can shape and help people’s lives.”

Before starting to work in the House, Blankenship was a field organizer for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in 2016. She recalls enjoying the conversations she had with volunteers who were not getting paid to help make phone calls or knock on doors. She asked them what brought them back every week, and they would tell her their experiences with healthcare, education, and other issues.

My favorite thing that I bring to the room is my identity, who I am, my personality, the lens through which I see the world.”

It was an indelible experience. “I take those stories with me to work every day. When I’m sitting at the table, it’s like they’re sitting at the table too, because those stories stay with me. Those stories are the reason I continue working in politics. It’s easy to get lost in the bubble of D.C., but remembering those stories and trying to stay connected are important.

“What I love about working on Capitol Hill is that I’m surrounded by so many other smart, ambitious people who also are there because they want to give back, because they want to make a difference,” Blankenship said. “You see people from the college-aged interns all the way to people who have been on the Hill for years. We’re all there for the same reason.”

Blankenship acknowledges that her vocation is an extension of her own personal beliefs. She is grateful to Hutchison for helping her develop the confidence to find her own voice and explore her interests. She knows the heart of rewarding work is the intersection of passion and impact.

In addition to Pelosi, Blankenship has worked with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal of Washington State and Congresswoman Lucy McBath of Georgia. “I’ve been lucky to work for incredible female members of Congress who have blazed their own trails and are inspiring for the work that they’ve done in the past and continue to do.”

a powerful moment & giving back

It’s not lost on Blankenship that she gets to witness history, almost daily. In her first month on the job in the Speaker’s office, she was on the Floor when the House was debating the bill about whether to declare a Federal holiday for Juneteenth, the day that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.

She recalled listening as Majority Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina spoke about the history of slavery in America, and then hearing Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who’s been in Congress since 1995 and is considered a trailblazer. Blankenship was also thinking about her parents who were both born before the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which outlawed discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War.

“Being able to sit there in the House of Representatives … to be working for the first female Speaker of the House, and to be there as a staffer … there were just so many different emotions,” Blankenship recalled. “People of color say ‘my ancestor’s wildest dreams,’ and in that moment I truly knew what that meant. I still get chills even now just thinking about it.”

It’s important for Blankenship to give back to those places that have meant so much to her. She serves as the regional planning chair for Hutchison’s Alumnae Association Board, as an interviewer for Georgetown’s alumni admissions program, and as a board member for St. Albans School of Public Service.

“When I think about Hutchison and I think about St. Albans, they’re two institutions that were the foundation for so much of who I am,” Blankenship said. “Rogers Scholars opened my eyes to giving back to the community and the idea of service and what that means and looks like. St. Alban’s opened my eyes to policy, how you can turn that into something at the federal level. I wanted to give back to two institutions that gave me a lot in my formative years.”

As for advice for Hutchison girls, Blankenship said, “It’s okay to not have it all figured out at any point in your life. When I graduated from high school, I felt like I had to immediately know what I was going to major in and what I was going to do after college. Then senior year of college, I felt like I immediately had to have a job lined up after college and know what I was going to be doing for the next 40 years of my life.

“It’s okay to not have a five-year plan, because even my best five-year plans could not have predicted how my life would turn out up to now. Follow what you’re passionate about, because it will never lead you astray.”

"

I use a lot of the tools I gained at Hutchison about finding my own voice, standing up for what I believe in, standing up for myself, and not being afraid to ask a question.”

A Leap of Faith

Leads to a Distinguished Career

by Max Maddock

Entering Rhodes College, Elizabeth Hays Taylor ’94 was certain that she would major in science. It was her forté, and she remembered taking aptitude tests that predicted she was destined to do something meticulous, with focus, exactness, and precision. She majored in chemistry for two years at Rhodes before finding herself in a political science class, where she had a light-bulb moment. “I was fascinated by the way politics can reflect human behavior and the reasons why our government works the way it works,” she recalled.

After she changed her major to political science, she found an externship in the Memphis office of Fred Thompson, the U.S. Senator from Tennessee. The externship wasn’t glitzy: Taylor answered phones and handled constituent complaints, but it made an impression. When she graduated, she called the senator’s Memphis office and inquired if there were any positions available in Washington, D.C. They promised to keep an eye out for her, and she kept in contact. Several months later the senator’s office called to say there was a position open in D.C. “They interviewed me over the phone, offered me the job on a Thursday, and asked, ‘Can you be here Monday morning?’ ” Taylor jumped in her car and drove to D.C.

There was a hitch, though. The job would be an internship until the full-time job became available, although they promised her it would happen. She was taking a risk. “My parents thought it was a little bit crazy,” Taylor recalled. “I thought, ‘well, what’s the worst that can happen? Move up there for a few months, and then turn around and come back.’ ”

It was a good gamble. It launched Taylor’s career, and she’s been in Washington, D.C., ever since.

ANSWERING MAIL OPENS DOORS

These days, Taylor works for Regions Bank as executive vice president, head of governmental affairs & economic development and assistant general counsel. It’s a long title, she admitted, but in essence she advocates on behalf of the bank with members of Congress and federal agencies. For instance, if a new bill or rule is being proposed that will impact the bank and the products it offers, Taylor and her

Photo by Timothy Devine

I t was a good gamble. It launched Taylor’s career, and she’s been in Washington, D.C., ever since.

team educate lawmakers on the impact of the bill or rule in order to improve it and advise the bank to help the bank prepare for any necessary operational changes.

It is not a position one could step into easily without some deep knowledge and the experience of working in Congress. Taylor’s 10 years working on Capitol Hill prepared her well for the role.

It started in Senator Thompson’s office in 1998, where Taylor’s first job was as a Legislative Correspondent. Essentially, she answered the senator’s constituent mail. Although it sounds basic, it was the perfect primer on the workings of the Capitol. “I cut my teeth learning the issues that were of interest to the senator and trying to represent his views in answering constituent mail and questions,” she explained. The writing skills that were a foundation of her time at both Hutchison and Rhodes College quickly came in handy. After a year, she moved to the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations where she worked for the chief counsel running investigations and hearings.

Before long, Taylor knew she wanted to go to law school. “I looked at some of the jobs on the Hill that I thought I wanted to have, and they all required a law degree,” she said. She matriculated to American University where she studied at night while working at a law firm during the day. While working as a paralegal, she got her first taste of a “trial by fire” when the head paralegal on a $200 million tax case quit and Taylor was tasked with leading a team of five during discovery and the ensuing 10-week trial in federal district court in Michigan. She hit the ground running and figured it out.

Taylor never envisioned herself working at a law firm, though. She said the law degree was the means to an end, her entrée to some interesting opportunities, including one right out of law school. Around the time she received her Juris Doctor in 2004, Senate Democrats were filibustering President Bush's judicial nominations and Republicans were asserting it was unconstitutional, a topic on which she had authored a law review article during law school. The Republican National Committee recruited Taylor as a research analyst and counsel for judicial issues to advise the RNC and coordinate with the White House, Senate, and Department of Justice on the confirmation process. Shortly after joining the RNC, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor retired and Chief Justice William Rehnquist passed away, opening two seats on the Supreme Court. She helped run the confirmation hearings for their replacements—Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito—in 2005 and 2006.

BECOMING AN EXPERT … ON MANY THINGS

It wasn’t long before Taylor felt the call to return to the Hill. She was recruited to work for Chairman Arlen Specter (R-PA) on the Senate Judiciary Committee, first as counsel and then chief counsel for the Nominations and Constitutional Law section of the committee. The Judiciary Committee oversees all of the nominees to the federal courts and the Department of Justice.

“I love that I get to learn something new nearly every day.”

Elizabeth Hays Taylor ’94 advising Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

“There’s not much like counseling a senator on a circuit court or attorney general nomination while sitting behind the dias,” Taylor recalled. “You are providing follow-up questions and rebuttals to arguments in real time. There’s a ton of work that goes into preparing for each of those hearings—going through the nominee's voluminous records and then distilling it down into a digestible format the senator can use.” After a few years managing the nomination division, she had the opportunity to work on two more Supreme Court confirmations—Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Sonia Sotomayor—but her view was much closer than when she was at the RNC. “It was an amazing opportunity to advise a senator on such highprofile lifetime appointments and to do so by utilizing my study of constitutional law, Senate procedure, and the political process,” she recalled.

She then served as chief counsel to two other senators on the Judiciary Committee, Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona, managing their full Judiciary Committee agendas and their responsibilities as the ranking members of the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, including supervising the subcommittee counsels and legislative staff.

During her eight years on the Judiciary Committee, she became adept at writing succinct memos, almost daily, to brief senators on the most salient information. “You really are the expert,” she explained. “You’ve done the legal research, met the industry leaders on the issue, and talked with the senator’s constituents.” “Then you are sitting behind the senator when he’s deciding how to vote or how to ask a question. Most senators have a gut instinct on where they want to be on an issue, but you’re there to help provide context and advice.”

Admittedly, there was a lot of pressure, too. “It can be challenging finding the right information and making sure it is correct, because you never wanted to hand a senator something that wasn’t right and have him say it publicly,” she said. “There’s a lot of pressure to produce an analysis in a short amount of time and to ensure every detail is accurate.” It seems the aptitude tests she took in high school were correct about doing work with focus and precision.

There was no handbook for much of the work she was doing, so Taylor said it was vital to ask a lot of questions. “I think sometimes people are afraid to ask questions because they don’t want to sound like they don’t know what’s going on, but asking questions is a way to learn from the people who are around you,” she explained. “You need to be willing to step forward and take the reins, even if you’re not positive you know what you’re doing. Every job is a leap with new responsibilities.”

FROM LEGISLATIVE WORK TO ADVOCACY

In 2014, Taylor left the Hill to go work for the International Franchise Association, a trade organization that represents franchise businesses such as McDonald’s or Planet Fitness. She handled federal policy lobbying on topics such as taxes, healthcare, or access to capital. She was then promoted to be the chief legal officer, working on regulatory and legal issues for the organization.

“I think sometimes people are afraid to ask questions, because they don’t want to sound like they don’t know what’s going on, but asking questions is a way to learn from the people who are around you.”

aylor

In 2017, she was recruited to Regions Bank as head of regulatory affairs and then promoted to manage Regions’ government affairs division, including federal and state advocacy, as head of governmental affairs and economic development. It brings her full circle. When she was on the Hill, she would meet with lobbyists who would explain the impact of various laws on their industry and she would convey that information to the senator. These days, in her position at Regions, she is on the advocacy side educating staffers on the Hill as well as regulatory bodies such as the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and others.

Even though political partisanship often dominates the news headlines, Taylor said that when she worked on the Hill, it was not always an accurate portrayal of what it was like. “I don’t think people realize how much time you spend with the staff from the other side,” she explained. “On the Privacy Subcommittee, Senator Al Franken (D-MN) was the chair, while my senator was the ranking member. We had to put together hearings, negotiate legislation, and conduct investigations daily. We were friends and remain friends. You had to do that to make it tolerable.”

She knows there’s an allure to the work being done in Congress. “I do a fair amount of mentoring of people who are interested in coming to D.C. and working on the Hill. The advice I give people is to be open to any job that you can get because you never know where it’s going to lead. Network and talk to people and prove you can do a good job. Then you’ll probably move into the position you want fairly quickly.”

Once you’re there, she said it’s about talking to people and finding mentors, both male and female. “Ask, ‘How did you approach this? Are there organizations you recommend that provide networking opportunities? Who else would you recommend I talk to?’ There are so many people out there who are willing to give a hand up in the process. It’s just a matter of finding them.”

One thing that’s changed since she worked on the Hill, Taylor said, is the ability to be more in control of her work-life balance. “When you’re working on the Hill, if somebody says, ‘We’re going to vote on that tonight,’ the members have to say, ‘Okay, we’re staying tonight, cancel your plans.’ You couldn’t plan a vacation or even make dinner reservations.”

Taylor is married, has a dog, and owns a farm near Charlottesville, where she keeps some cows. “I’m a part-time farmer,” she said with a smile. “We’re there most weekends.”

When she visited Hutchison to talk to upper school girls, Taylor recalled advice she got while at Rhodes College. “A professor said to me, ‘You’re young, you’re inexperienced, you don’t know anything, but one thing you can offer is energy. Bring that full force of energy with you every day, and that will drive you forward in your career.’”

T

recalled advice she got while at Rhodes College. “A professor said to me, ‘You’re young, you’re inexperienced, you don’t know anything, but one thing you can offer is energy. Bring that full force of energy with you every day, and that will drive you forward in your career. ’ ”

Q & A

In November 2022, Elizabeth Hays Taylor stopped by Hutchison and spoke to upper school students about her years of work in Washington, D.C., and her advice to them. Here are some of their questions and her answers.

Q: What does a day in the life of your job look like?

A: It could be going to meetings of banking trade associations that represent business sectors to talk about what’s important to Regions. Or it could be travelling to various markets and talking to bankers and the people who are doing the real work within the bank. I nd out what’s important to their business line and what they are seeing in the economy and it informs my conversations with Congress and the regulators.

Q: How important is networking?

A: A lot of what I do is talking to different people. Creating coalitions is important when you’re trying to do something on the Hill. If you can get a diverse set of people that are all arguing for the same thing, you’re far more likely to be successful. That means determining where you have commonalities and where you can coordinate together. Successful lobbying is getting to know as many people as you can and making sure that you not only rely on them for help but that you also help them. It is a two-way street.

Q: What is your advice about law school?

A: If you’re going to law school, gure out how that works with your goals. It’s expensive, it’s time consuming, it’s hard. Take the time to gure out what you want out of it. You may graduate with signi cant debt. Be willing to study anywhere in the country. Consider that you might have the same tuition cost at an equally well-ranked school, but much lower living expenses. There are skills that you can acquire in law school for many different careers.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge in banking or government right now?

A: Congressional districts are more and more either red or blue and when members of Congress are in safe seats, many of them

are not compelled to compromise with the other side. That manifests in dramatic swings in D.C. where the rules change depending on which party is in power. That’s difficult for businesses. Also, corporations are facing signi cant challenges with activism on both sides that’s making it complicated to do business.

Q: What advice would you give your high school self?

A: Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions. Talk to as many adults as you can about what they like about their jobs. One of the great things about working on Capitol Hill and in Congress was that I learned so much about the broad range of career opportunities that are out there. I wish everybody could see some of that earlier in their lives so they could see clearly what they like and don’t like.

Q: What have you enjoyed about your time in Washington, D.C.?

A: I’ve been able to be in the mix of everything and learn about a wide range of different issues. The work deals with topics on the front page of the newspaper and you might be helping prepare a Senator make decisions that affect the entire country.

Q: What makes you excited to wake up and go to work every day?

A: Meeting new people. I love that I get to learn something new nearly every day. When we are presented with announcements from Congress or regulatory agencies on various issues, I have to gure out what it means and how to convey that to people.

Q: What advice do you have for women trying to tread water in male-dominated careers?

A: Never underestimate yourself. You’re just as smart as they are. Be willing to speak your mind, have an opinion, and ask a question. Recognize that no one has all of the answers. I’ve had male and female mentors. They’ve been great at saying: "Don’t doubt yourself. You got the job. Go do it.” My advice is to never doubt yourself, but always be prepared.

Graduation

CLASS of 2022

Above: Dr. Kristen Ring with Annie Tauer Christoff ’96, commencement speaker for the Class of 2022

Left: Meg Thomas Student Speaker Rachel Perry

Emmy Yambrek receives her diploma from Dr. Kristen Ring

Top honors for the Class of 2022: Shubhi Singh received Four Years, Top Honors. Annabelle Bridgforth received Four Years, Second Honors, and tied with Betsy Grimes for Senior Year, Top Honors. Annaleigh Eason received Senior Year, Second Honors. Kristin Nunn won the Edward P. Russell Award, given to a senior who, through her leadership and devotion to Hutchison’s founding ideals, brings honor to herself and the School. Layla Truitt received the Ideal Hutchison Girl Award, which is presented to a senior best representing the ideal woman as described in Proverbs 31.

Annabelle Bridgforth, Annaleigh Eason, Layla Truitt, Dr. Kristen Ring, Kristin Nunn, Shubhi Singh, and Betsy Grimes

photos by Jessica Coulson

Senior athletes; back row: Annaleigh Eason, Caroline Brickey, Annabelle Bridgforth, Lily Williams, Lily Rodenhiser, Layla Truitt, Shubhi Singh. Front row: Janie Martin, Kristin Nunn, Linley Downs, Sarah Elizabeth Rowland, Athletics Director Caroline Schaefer, Madison Neal, Madison Fisher, Acelynn Humphries, and Amanda Campbell

Tate Conrad, Sammy Ann Primm Marshall ’62, Ann and Betsy Grimes, Becky and Tommy Grimes, and Melissa Conrad Grimes ’87 and Tom Grimes

Caroline Grace Hathcock with mother Stephanie Hathcock

Trip and Jenny Morrison Miller ’98 with flower girls Gracie ’32 and Maclin ’34; and Acelynn Humphries with parents Lindsey and Acy Humphries and sister Anniston ’27

Hamna Tameez with her mother, Iffat Tameez

Rheagan Crenshaw with mother Rhonda Crenshaw

Lily Williams with parents Daniel and Amy Williams

Linley Downs with parents Brad and Courtney Downs

Ella Luter with parents Chip and Allison Luter and sister Katherine ’23

Morgan Schrier, Claire Klemis, Elizabeth Craft, and Vanessa Fan

Alex McVean and mother Nikki McVean

Kate Weakley and Hayden Miller

Cindy Stimbert Sands ’87, Lilly Sands, and Susan Stimbert Bullock ‘85

Ava Maxwell and Hannah Abu-Khraybeh

Cece Turley and Julianna Judge

Katie Wiener with sister Bailey Wiener ’24, grandmother Katie Eleazer Dobbs ’67, and flower girl Lela Anne Canale ’34

Merrick Miller and Amanda Campbell

Class of 2022

Sara Kate Burnett with Patrick, Rebecca ’24, Anna Margaret ’20, and mom Sara Burnett

Madison Bright and Imani Ware ’33

Cece Turley with mother and former Hutchison Trustee Muffy Farnsworth Turley ’88

Mary Olivia Brundick with mother Ginny Dowell Brundick ‘92

Emmy Yambrek, Linley Downs, Mallory McQuillen, Lily Williams, and Mary Olivia Brundick

Caroline Brickey with parents Leslie and Michael Brickey and sister Anna Catherine ’25

Kate McCandless and flower girl Callie Patterson ’32 with Mary Aubrey Landrum Stafford ’10. McCandless was Stafford’s flower girl.

Wylly Willmott, Katy Nair, and Ella Luter

Brigi Mills, Weetie Whittemore, Izabella Moore, Hannah Abu-Khraybeh, Caroline Erb, Sarah Elizabeth Rowland, Molly Reeves Gooch, and Proctor Pitts

Abigail Arnold, Linley Downs, Devereux Ringger, Hannah Abu-Khraybeh, Robert Lofton, Molly Reeves Gooch, Lily Rodenhiser, and Lily Williams

Aimen Kazmi with parents Humi and Asif Kazmi and sister Varda ’25

Ava Weiss with her father and Hutchison Trustee Craig Weiss Madison Fisher, Rachel Perry, Acelynn Humphries, and Layla Truitt

Katie Wiener, Caroline Grace Hathcock, Shubhi Singh, Camille Mattingly, Curren Ligon, Sara Kate Burnett, and Lillie Hollabaugh

Right: Kate Weakley and flower girl Emma Samson ’33

Chattanooga

Nashville

Heath Acuff Elrod ’93, Annaleigh Eason ’22, Mary Ann Steck Devine ’71, Kristen Ring, Sharon Dula Minor ’83, Lauren Reddoch ’17, Leigh Ann Sammons ’82, Harriet Cotten Moran ’56, and Evey Eason ’16

Below, L to R, back row: Kiya Brown ’21, Lisa Weston Jagar ’01, Lucia Crenshaw McKnight ’05, Sarah Keesee Vogel ’05, Ellen Dennis ’07, Elizabeth Coe Wade ’96, Tricia Thomas McCarter ’95, Carrie Austin Playfair ’93, Lauren Stallworth Imbrosciano ’05, Katie Maples ’04, Kendall Marston Henderson ’05, Hardin Powell Meade ’04, Macy McCullough ’18, Hannah Chandler ’18, Mary Aubrey Landrum Stafford ’10; middle row: Emily Howe Gianis ’09, Virginia Grayson ’08, Shelley Grayson ’06, Ginger Thompson Wedemeyer ’04, Lauren Atkins ’14, Loring Gearhardt George ’14, Margaret Shaul ’14, Caché Truitt ’14; front row: Alessandra Corona Belmonte ’09, Lisa Patton Southard ’76, Kristen Ring, Nancy Patton Langdon ’64, Avery Patton Albritton ’83, Leslie Patton Davis ’83

Kristen Ring, Forest Ferrell Imorde ’89, Catherine Smith Stracker ’99, and Natalie Rodriguez-Nelson ’14.

Young Alum BeeHive Event

Meredith Franklin Keaton ’08, Kristen Ring, Farley Howe Ezekiel ’08, and Christie Long Montgomery ’08

L to R, back row: Kristen Ring, Mary Aubrey Landrum Stafford ’10, Meredith Franklin Keaton ’08, Farley Howe Ezekiel ’08, Rachel Hammons Parks ’10, Megan Marchant Dillon ’09, Taylor Bell Bailey ’09, Gray Morrison Byrd ’09, Brinkley Raby ’17, Daria Letcher ’17, Monica Fleck ’18, Hallie Hayden Graeber ’16, Bonner Williams Morgan ’12, Neely Leavell ’12, Claudia Wilder ’12, Lawrence Jones ’12, Arina Jackson ’13; front row: Weezie Steffner Pouget ’11, Kendall Jordan Freed ’11, Christie Long Montgomery ’08, Catherine Norton Simpson ’11, Taylor Kinard ’14, Pricey Morrison Gunn ’12, Shelton Wittenberg ’14, Lizzie Folk Campbell ’12, Hannah Mims Barber ’12, Claire Temple ’15, Caroline Wade ’15, and Claire Sentilles ’15

Daria Letcher ’17, Monica Fleck ’18, and Brinkley Raby ’17

Young Alums, con' t

Hallie Hayden Graeber ’16, Shelton Wittenberg ’14, and Arina Jackson ’13

Class of 2012: Lizzie Folk Campbell, Claudia Wilder, Lawrence Jones, Neely Leavell, Bonner Williams Morgan, Hannah Mims Barber, and Pricey Morrison Gunn

Caroline Wade ’15, Claire Temple ’15, and Claire Sentilles ’15

Golden Bees Social

Gaye Gillespie Henderson ’67, Elise Morgan Stratton ’67, Betty Chalmers Peyton ’54, and Jeanne Jacobs Sutherland ’67

Sarah Wright and Mary Taylor Sullivan ’62

Katie Dobbs Eleazer ’67 and Nancy Hughes Coe ’70

Kristen Ring and Carey Madison Moore ’64

Photo by Amy Threadgill Photography

They Have Big Plans. Do You?

Each year, we graduate girls for success in a complex world. You can help. We keep planned giving simple because the world is complicated enough. Please consider a legacy gift for Hutchison. A simple paragraph added to your will is all it takes.

For more information about making a planned gift, or to inform us that you have already made a legacy gift to Hutchison, please contact Sarah Wright, Annual Giving Director, at (901) 507-2511.

PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING ALUMNAE

Donahoe ’98

Morgan Lynch

Molly Dorman Flynn ’98 is a real estate agent in the Memphis area and joined the Layson Group with Keller Williams.

Ribeiro ’01 was named to the Class of 2023 for Leadership Nashville. Ribeiro serves as the chief business development officer at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, Nashville’s largest law firm. She is one of 43 local leaders selected from over 250 applications to participate in the year-long program.

Cristie Upshaw Travis ’72 was awarded The Leapfrog Group’s Emerald Award for Lifetime Achievement this past March. The Leapfrog Group, founded in 2000, is a national nonprofit organization that collects, analyzes, and publishes data on the safety and quality of the healthcare industry. In recognizing Travis, Leapfrog’s CEO and Board Chair said: “For nearly all of Leapfrog’s 22-year history, Cristie has served as an inspiring and incisive member of Leapfrog’s leadership, taking on numerous Board leadership roles including Chair, Vice Chair, and Committee Chair. As CEO of the Memphis Business Group on Health, she pioneered innovative and successful strategies for engaging hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers in reporting and using data to drive change. Cristie’s extraordinary leadership is widely recognized at the national level beyond her contributions to Leapfrog including Chair of the National Quality Forum and former Chair of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. She has played an indispensable role in advancing excellence and transparency in the U.S. health care system.”

Elizabeth Wilson Pelly ’00 and her husband, Guy (below), own a vineyard in Charlottesville, Virginia, called Merrie Mill Farm and Vineyard. The vineyard released its first wine in March 2021 and to date, as of October 2022, they have released seven wines under their label.

Kate Christenbury ’07 is moving from IT at ConocoPhillips, where she’s spent her entire career so far, to HR, reporting directly to the organization’s chief diversity officer. Her new title is Senior DEI Advisor, and she will work closely with employee resource groups on a global scale, ultimately driving ConocoPhillips’ DEI strategy. She plans to be in this role for about two years before returning to IT.

Jane Aldinger

started a new job as Metro Editor for the Daily Memphian

Maggie Hogan ’80 was named as one of four finalists across the state of Arkansas for the Business Chief Financial Officer of the Year. Hogan is chief financial officer and partner at Kelley Commercial Partners. She heads the accounting and property management divisions, of which the company manages over 8,000,000 square feet of property.

Ellen Dennis ’07 started a new job in March 2022 working remotely as a senior associate in client services with Beacon Pointe, an investment advisory firm, in their Durham and Greensboro, North Carolina, offices. She has been in the financial services industry for five years now.

Libby Moore ’07 recently moved from Nashville, Tennessee, to Charlotte, North Carolina, after seven years in international financial compliance. She will apply her professional skills and experience to a similar role in financial crimes and anti-money laundering at Wells Fargo in Charlotte.

Sarah Sabbatini ’07, PT, DPT, is the manager of Burn Rehabilitation at Regional One Health’s Firefighters Burn Center. She leads rehabilitation

Amy Atkinson Shreve ’80 and Susan Springfield ’82 were recognized nationally as part of the First Horizon Bank executive team named The Most Powerful Women in Banking by the American Bankers Association. No strangers to being trailblazers in their field, Shreve and Springfield both credit Hutchison with preparing them to be confident leaders, and Springfield says Hutchison taught her at an early age that there were no limits to what she could achieve. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, The Most Powerful Women in Banking program recognizes individuals and teams for demonstrating exceptional leadership skills, strong performance, and a commitment to driving real outcomes for diversity, equity, and inclusion in financial services.

Amy Atkinson Shreve ’80 (fifth from left) and Susan Springfield ’82 (third from left) are part of a team recognized by the American Bankers Association.

services over the full continuum of burn care, including burn intensive and acute care, inpatient burn rehab, and outpatient burn therapy. Prior to taking on this leadership role, she spent the last eight years as a physical therapist in the Firefighters Burn Center. Sabbatini continues to serve as a clinical instructor for physical therapy students at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She is actively involved in burn care and research and has participated as a speaker and presenter at multiple American Burn Association annual meetings and Southern Region Burn Conferences.

Sarah Rose Watkins ’10 was promoted to Global Social Media Manager at FedEx.

Camille Hayes Mallory ’10 started a new job as a cardiology nurse practitioner at St. Francis Hospital.

Anne Morgan Guenther

Miller ’10 started a new role in sales at Sylvamo, a spinoff of International Paper.

Rachel Hammons Parks ’10 was promoted to Manager of Executive Communications at FedEx.

Mary Elisabeth Tipton ’10 started a new position as counsel at Deloitte in New York City. She reports that it is a dynamic, inclusive, challenging, yet rewarding, people-oriented organization.

LET US KNOW ABOUT YOUR WORK

Please share your latest professional achievements and news so your fellow classmates will know what you are doing! Send professional news and large, high-resolution photos to alumnae@ hutchisonschool.org. The deadline for the next magazine is March 31, 2023

Dear Alumnae,

As I sit down to write this message, I find myself at a loss for words. This year has been an incredibly di cult one for the Hutchison community as we continue to grieve the loss of our Hutchison sister, Liza Wellford Fletcher ’06. There are no adequate words to soothe the grieving, heavy hearts that have been devastated by this loss, and it is clear through the outpouring of love in Liza’s honor that the impact she left at Hutchison and beyond is tremendous.

We were moved by the alumnae, friends, and others touched by Liza’s legacy who gathered across the world to celebrate her life and finish her run. From Memphis to New York and Los Angeles to London and Abu Dhabi and everywhere in between, thousands of people gathered in honor of Liza’s Light.

In the face of such tragedy, people often find strength and support in one another, and that can certainly be said of our Hutchison alumnae family. As we grieve during this impossibly painful time, we also acknowledge hope in the continued remembrance of Liza’s Light within our community.

Sending you love and light, Mary Aubrey Sta ord ’10 Alumnae

Director

Liza’s Light in Memphis …

… and around the world.

1740 Ridgeway Road Memphis, Tennessee 38119 (901) 761-2220

PARENTS of ALUMNAE: If your publication is addressed to your daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumnae Office of her new mailing address at (901) 762-6664.

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED.

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Hutchison accepts qualified female students regardless of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin.