Caroline Murphy

Caroline Murphy loves to talk to people about history. Conducting interviews with authors, professors, and people in various professions is where she sees history come alive. 

Currently a junior at the Chapel Hill High School in North Carolina, Caroline Murphy started participating in National History Day in the 8th grade, when her group was the only team in their school district competing. With her group, she created a historical documentary on the fall of the Berlin Wall, which won the Primary Sources award and advanced to the national competition. The following year, her team researched the Aborigines Act of 1934 and was recognized with the International Project award. In 2015, she and teammate Sydney Dye focused on John Muir and his role in creating the National Park System. This project placed first in the state and advanced on to the national competition where it received the National Endowment for the Humanities award. 

Throughout her young career as historian, she has had the chance to meet and talk with all kinds of people; driven by her enthusiasm for history, she started a National History Day club at her high school. The most valuable aspect of this school club, in Caroline’s eyes, is that it helps students realize the significance of history, and its impact on the rest of the world and even the future. 

Caroline is a member of her high school’s Peer Tutoring club where she provides assistance and mentorship to fellow students. She is a coach for Special Olympics tennis, basketball, and swimming. In the summer, she volunteers at the Carrboro Arts Center camp. Over the past four summers she has attended the Research Triangle Park International Chinese Exchange program, where she assists in Chinese translation for camp activities and field trips. She and her family also host Chinese exchange students while they attend the program. In addition, Caroline is an executive officer of the Green Tigers environmental club, as well as a dedicated member of the National Social Studies Honors Society, National Achievers Society and the National Academy of Information Technology. She is an all-conference field hockey player and also plays varsity lacrosse. Her previous experience as captain of the JV field hockey and basketball teams have helped her understand the important role of leadership even outside of the traditional classroom setting.