Kylie Hutchison is an Honors senior majoring in Microbiology, with minors in Chemistry and Medical Humanities, who is graduating in Spring 2023. Although that is enough to keep anyone busy, Hutchison doesn't stop there: she is also a member of the American Society of Microbiology Oklahoma chapter, the Alpha Lambda Delta honors society, and she is president of the Women's Health Advocacy, Period chapter at OU.
Kylie first heard about Women's Health Advocacy at the end of her freshman year, when she received an email about a new organization ever since, starting as an advocacy officer and working her way up to president! She is most proud of all the work she has accomplished with the WHA, saying, "It was my goal to provide free menstrual products to as many people on OU's campus as possible, so I wanted to make sure every building with students contained at least one station." Within a year, the organization increased the number of menstrual supply stations on campus from just 15 to 60, with every classroom-based building having at least one station. Another great accomplishment has been their collaborative work with Poetic Justice, a nonprofit that teaches literature in prisons in Oklahoma. This partnership allowed them access to the Mabel Bassett and Eddie Warrior Correctional Centers to donate menstrual products to them. The Women's Health Advocacy group organized a fundraiser that raised about $3000 and allowed them to donate about 10,000 menstrual products to both centers!
Hutchison has been an Honors student throughout her time at OU and has also been involved in Honors-based groups such as the Honors Mentorship Program, which pairs freshmen with upperclassmen to help guide them at OU. Maintaining a healthy academic work/life balance has always been important to Kylie and she accomplishes this by rigorously planning out her week and structuring her day accordingly. She is set to graduate in the Spring and although she has many plans for the future, she will definitely miss OU and the Honors College. "I love the environment of all the study areas in the Honors College, but when the weather is nice, studying outside on the benches with my friends is definitely my favorite," Hutchison says.
Her plans after graduation include attending school to become a Physician's Assistant. She also plans to apply for jobs in the women's healthcare field, especially at PERIOD, to continue to advocate for menstrual equity and to be able to work directly to protect and further reproductive rights, as that is where her passion truly lies.
