AIKEN, S.C. (AP) - Caitlin Shirey, a 13-year-old homeschooled student, said she has a “pretty normal life.” She likes reading, watching movies and hanging out with friends. She practices martial arts, took dance classes and has been horseback riding for years.
But Caitlin is also unique, in that, this fall, she won’t be a freshman in high school like most kids her age. She’ll be a full-time college student at USC Aiken.
Despite being younger than most high school students, Caitlin has already taken the SATs, accumulated 17 credit hours from dual-enrollment at USC Aiken, and was accepted into three South Carolina colleges and universities, with scholarships.
Her dream is to pursue her passion for science and become a cardiothoracic surgeon.
“I’ve always loved science as a kid,” Caitlin said. ”… Through the years, my fondness for science has grown greatly. When I thought about what job I might want in the future, I knew I wanted it to have something to do with science, specifically something surgical.”
Caitlin initially wanted to be a veterinary surgeon. She stumbled upon a video of a heart transplant on YouTube by chance, which she proceeded to “watch with awe.”
“Instead of two men losing their lives, one was able to save another,” Caitlin said. “I was so fascinated by all of it. I really wanted to experience the feeling myself of holding a heart in my hand and saving lives. It was on that day that I knew I wanted to be a cardiothoracic surgeon. It just feels right.”
Caitlin said she has “always” been supported by her mother, Elizabeth Shirey, who discovered her daughter’s brilliance when she was still in diapers.
“I noticed there was something different about Caitlin pretty much from the beginning,” Shirey said. “At 18 months, she knew her alphabet and their phonics … At 3, she was reading small chapter books by herself. She did not seem to be slowing down.”
Shirey decided to start homeschooling Caitlin in an effort to tailor her classes to her daughter’s academic prowess. Caitlin started kindergarten at age 3. By age 4, she was reading lengthy chapter books.
By 5 she was multiplying; by age 6, she was learning algebra.
“She has never ceased to amaze me,” Shirey said. “There were many times I would find her reading the encyclopedias for fun, and sometimes she still does.”
But Caitlin began to find her school work too easy.
“Don’t get me wrong; my mom was an excellent teacher,” Caitlin said. “She fostered my learning and desire for knowledge along the way, but she agreed I needed more of a challenge. I skipped the 10th and 11th grade, going right into the 12th grade and began dual-enrolling at USC Aiken.”
Caitlin said university officials were at first “perplexed” by the idea of a 12-year-old dual-enrolling at USCA. But they agreed to let Caitlin take a few classes, and she began studying sociology and art history.
“This spring semester, I took biology, world history and calculus,” Caitlin said. “I loved both biology and calculus. Biology is awesome because it is science and because I had a great professor. Dr. Mills really made the class fun because she was always excited about the material, which made it even more exciting to learn.”
Caitlin had to make some adjustments in her college learning that she’d never had to do at home: for example, she had to start showing more of her work in calculus, or risk losing points on assignments. Usually, Caitlin said, she does most of the math in her head.
Caitlin said her mother “always” encouraged her love of science and learning at every turn. However, Shirey also made a point to have Caitlin take breaks from her studies and pursue other activities.
“I have made sure, through the years, she has had plenty of age-appropriate activities to not only make her take a break from learning, but also help her make friends her own age and create the well-rounded individual she has become,” Shirey said. “She is still a kid, and I think it is very important she has downtime to be a kid.”
Caitlin, like all other high school seniors, was thrown for a loop when the coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe. Parties were canceled, plans were altered and celebrating her high school graduation – at 13, no less – was thrown off course.
“It honestly really sucked,” Caitlin said. “The past weeks have been hard, but they could be worse. I will miss having a party to celebrate, but it can always be celebrated later. I choose to look on the bright side; at least I get to stay in my pajamas all day.”
Coronavirus closures weren’t the only difficulty facing Caitlin’s final days in high school. She was accepted to USC Aiken, USC and Clemson, with scholarships being offered by all three schools.
Getting into college was the easy part for Caitlin; choosing between them was another matter. While her age offered no obstacle for her ability to learn, it suddenly became the biggest factor in her choice of school.
“I had a difficult time choosing between Clemson and USC Aiken,” Caitlin said. “Clemson … was very appealing, but Clemson is two and a half hours away. I am too young to live on campus. If I chose Clemson, my mom would have to move with me. We would either live with my aunt or get a separate residence. That would leave my dad and brother behind. I didn’t like the idea of dividing my family.”
Caitlin said USCA is a “smaller, lesser known school,” but making the local choice would allow her to keep her family together and remain near her friends. Its proximity to Aiken Regional Medical Centers has also given her hope of shadowing a doctor or surgeon to learn more about her chosen career field.
Despite the brevity of her high school years, Caitlin said her accelerated academic career has always felt “normal,” mostly because of her mother’s support.
Nonetheless, it can be daunting for a mother to send her daughter off to college at such a young age.
“Having Caitlin start college full-time is a bit overwhelming,” Shirey said. “Obviously, I am very proud of her and excited for her because she is excited. I know she is not only ready for the material but also capable of handling the level of difficulty it will bring. She has already proven that to me over this past year. However, despite her ability, as her mom, I can’t help but worry.
”… She’s dedicated,” Shirey continued. “How can I stand in the way of that?”
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