Hughes is the sister (four years younger) of 2002 Olympic Champion Sarah Hughes. She won the bronze medal at the 2005 World Junior Championships, the first major international event she entered. After the 2006/2007 season, Hughes moved to the Boston area for studying at Harvard University. She switched back to former coach Bonnie Retzkin in 2008. Hughes missed most of the 2008/09 season due to injury.