Starting over is never easy – just ask Makayla Hutchinson ’25.
Hutchinson came to Merrimack College after suffering a debilitating injury that left her unable to play her favorite sport, basketball. Now, this spring, she’s graduating with a bachelor’s in health and nutritional sciences.
“I think I have gotten a lot more than I anticipated from my experience (at Merrimack),” Hutchinson said. “I was coming from a really tough spot where things weren’t going right for me, everything was falling apart and I was hoping a fresh start would put me in a better position. Looking back two and a half years ago, I’d have never imagined being where I am now.”
Hutchinson first enrolled at Stonehill College, studying criminology and playing for the women’s basketball team. Unfortunately, during a game, she tore her ACL for a second time. It marked her third traumatic injury in two years, and she could no longer play the sport she loved.
“I played pretty much my whole life,” she said. “After this one day at Stonehill, I haven’t played since.”
Despite the setback, Hutchinson was determined to push forward with her education. She knew she needed a fresh start and felt Merrimack would offer the space she needed to begin again during her sophomore year.
“At first, it was a little scary and overwhelming,” she explained. “However, I feel like I adjusted pretty quickly. The people I met when I first got here are still my friends to this day.”
Not content with simply changing schools, Hutchinson decided to change her major as well.
“I still love criminology,” she explained. “It’s still very fascinating to me, but something clicked with me with the third injury. I can’t really explain it, but I decided I didn’t want to do it anymore. I wanted to go into healthcare.”
Part of her reasoning came from her continued medical treatments. At the time of her transfer, she was still receiving care for various injuries.
“Due to lack of attention to detail in my case, I developed arthritis in my back that is now chronic,” she explained. “Physically, now, I’m good. Everything’s been dealt with. This was something that inspired me to be in healthcare. I want to make sure I focus on all of the patient’s symptoms, not just what is the primary injury.”
In October, Hutchinson landed an internship as an anesthesia technician at Boston Children’s Hospital. There, she preps anesthesia machines, supplies and IVs for surgery and assists staff with whatever they need during procedures.
“I think it’s a great first step” into her professional career, she said. “I just don’t work around anesthesiologists. There are surgeons, nurses and clinical coordinators I get to talk to, ask questions of and observe their jobs. I’m being exposed to so many different positions at this internship.”
Hutchinson said she’s still deciding which medicinal discipline to pursue, but she’s currently eyeing orthopedic surgery or radiology. Next fall, she will pursue her master’s degree in biomedical science at Vanderbilt University.
“I feel like I’m passing a huge milestone,” Hutchinson said of graduating from Merrimack. “I didn’t ever imagine I’d graduate college as quickly as I did. I still have such a long road ahead of me. Even though I’m still going back to school, I feel like I’m about to jump into the real world.”
