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Caroline Merrifield

Biography

When Caroline Merrifield went to China on a 15-day trip with her Chinese teacher, she was the only student who unabashedly plunged into crowds to talk to locals, in Chinese. “The self-confidence and geniality she demonstrated here, in my opinion, were extraordinarily characteristic,” said Xiaoyu Chen of Conserve School.

Caroline might have used those traits well anywhere, but says being a Young Scholar “has allowed me to think creatively and take risks.” Demonstrating another strong characteristic – curiosity – as a Scholar, she grazed all over the landscape, from studying arias by Barber to photographing the Orion Nebula to conquering her fear of Newtonian physics to bargaining for Mao kitsch on Beijing pedestrian bridges. With such broad interests, it’s no wonder she found time with college and graduate scholars in summer seminars “incredibly motivating” while also relishing time with her Young Scholar peers, “people who care passionately about their work.”

Caroline envisions her future just as broadly. Her list of ambitions includes joining the Peace Corps, working as a translator for the 2008 China Olympics, backpacking through Europe and South America, and interviewing Svetlana Stalin. But whether she works as a writer or as a Chinese teacher, she aims to “continue to dream, question and reach for the stars.”

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