KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Caroline Spurling is perfecting her bedside manner. She said she always wanted to be a nurse and is now weeks away from getting her license to be a certified nursing assistant.
She's a senior at Anderson County High with a lot of ambition.
“I had never thought about going into law at all until I went to Volunteer Girls State for a week and it changed everything,” said Caroline Spurling.
Now, she’s combining nursing education and AP government all while participating in Youth Leadership in Anderson County.
Then, when the school bell rings, Caroline trades scrubs for soccer gear.
“I’ve been playing since I was four," she said. "It's everything to me. I love the field. I love the game. I love everything about it.”'
Caroline is a four-year starter and team captain. Even though she said she adores the game, she also said animals are a close rival for the thing she loves the most.
“I do have a love for pets," she said.
In fact, Caroline serves on the Norris Animal Shelter Commission. With them, she works on finding animals new homes where they can be cared for.
She founded Wags & Whiskers Annual Bake Sale as a 5th grader to raise money for the shelter.
“Baking is definitely a stress reliever for me,” she said.
Now, seven years and 350 Bundt cakes later — she’s raised more than $10,000 for the shelter. That money helps fund construction projects and day-to-day operations.
Clearly, Caroline has mastered time management.
“It took me a long time to learn how to balance everything," she said. "I love it. And I also love being busy.”
And her "why" goes beyond college applications. She said that serving her community is Caroline’s way of giving back.
“I love Norris. My community is everything to me. They've given me a lot,” she said.
Caroline held her last bake sale in August. Next year, she plans to study nursing at James Madison University and then law school to become a health attorney.