Carol Shea Linton

High School Graduation Year: 2021
Year First Awarded the Carson Scholarship: 2020
Sponsored by: Carson Scholars Fund

Carol Shea Linton, a 2020 Carson Scholar, is a passionate advocate, public speaker, and aspiring pediatrician whose drive stems from her personal experience living with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) and Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (hEDS). She uses her voice to raise awareness about the rare disease community, healthcare disparities, and educational equity.

Carol made history in 2019 as the first dual-enrolled student in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, to graduate with both a high school diploma and associate’s degree from Northeastern Technical College (NETC). While at NETC, she served as SGA President and became the first dual-enrolled student inducted into the Alpha Kappa Theta chapter of Phi Theta Kappa.

She went on to attend Winthrop University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in biology in December 2022 at just 19 years old – becoming one of the youngest graduates in university history. While at Winthrop, Carol was active in the Close Scholars Program and the Council of Student Leaders, and she pursued research focused on public health disparities. Her Undergraduate Honors Thesis, “Infant Mortality in South Carolina: How Underlying Factors Play a Significant Role,” examined how systemic inequities impacts health outcomes statewide.

Since 2022, Carol has served as a South Carolina Representative with the Young Adult Rare Representatives (YARR) program, where she advocates for better healthcare access and rare disease awareness. Recently, she launched South Carolina Rare, a state rare disease coalition aimed at connecting the South Carolina rare disease community. Through SC Rare, she hopes to bring together all members of the community to raise awareness and educate about the true impact of rare disease within the state. She is currently preparing to apply to medical school, with the goal of becoming a pediatrician and continuing her mission to expand healthcare access in rural and underserved communities.

Carol’s passions – rare disease and chronic illness advocacy, maternal and child health, rural health equity, and access to equal educational opportunity – are all deeply personal. She brings not only professional focus but also lived experience to her work, remaining driven and dedicated to making a lasting impact.