Scholar profile: Caitlin Shaw
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Biology major
When Caitlin Shaw heard distant lands calling, she responded by traveling to France to study a semester. Now, she is planning the first of more trips abroad to help others.
A biology major, Caitlin also studied French and chemistry at Carolina. She combined all those interests by enrolling in the “UNC in Montpellier” study abroad program. At the University of Montpellier III in southern France, she took French language classes with other Carolina students. Then, she studied biology and medieval history with French students.
She learned about other people, another culture and, more importantly, about herself.
“When I came back, it took a while to synthesize all that I experienced – from the classes, the travel, and the people – and what I realized about the way I react and work is that what I want out of life, probably more than anything, is adventure. I want to do as much as possible and experience life fully, not in a check-off-the-top-ten list way, but to find complete adventure in every aspect of my life.”
Because the cost of her study abroad program was not greater than what it would have cost her to study on-campus, Caitlin’s Carolina Covenant award paid for most of her expenses during her semester in France. Caitlin used her own money from years of savings for extra incidental expenses. To those who know her frugality – she buys and resells her textbooks on eBay – it is no surprise that Caitlin saved for her trip. In her final semester at Carolina, Caitlin applied for funding that she hopes will enable her to work in Africa after graduation. She plans to join Help International (HINT) to help set up a medical clinic in rural Cameroon before applying to medical school.
Attending college. Traveling. Helping others. All dreams made true. “Growing up, college was always a dream of mine, and the Carolina Covenant truly has made that dream a reality. I am proud to be a Covenant Scholar and hope that my testimony and the possibilities within the program give hope to people who are in the same circumstances as I was.”
