Her father, John Hughes, was a Canadian of Irish descent,[1] and was the captain of the NCAA champion 1969–70 Cornell University ice hockey team.

Hughes has supported a variety of causes for breast cancer research and awareness, including Skating for Life, a television special that she promoted on NBC's Today show.

She graduated from Great Neck North High School in June 2007,[5] and announced on April 26, 2007 that she would attend Harvard University starting in fall 2007.

Starting in February 2012, she began employment with Deloitte Consulting in New York City as a business analyst.

She left Deloitte in September 2013 and began working for the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Hughes won the bronze medal at the 2006 U.S. Championships and was named as first alternate for a spot in the U.S. Olympic team.

Hughes switched from long-time coach Bonni Retzkin to Mark Mitchell and Peter Johansson at the Skating Club of Boston.

She qualified for the Eastern Sectionals but received a bye to the 2009 U.S. Championships due to her Grand Prix assignment.

[19] She specifically noted she wanted to qualify for the 2010 games so she could experience the opening ceremony,[20] something she missed in 2006 since she was a late replacement to the team.