Volunteer Spotlight: Carol Hinshaw

Watauga Medical Center volunteer Carol Hinshaw is one of the smiling and friendly faces you might see when you visit the hospital’s gift shop. Carol has a great flair for design and keeps the shop looking “ship shape,” as she cheerfully assists customers.

Below Carol shares a little about who she is — and what volunteering brings to her life. Many thanks to Carol for thirteen years of excellent service with ARHS!

I consider myself to be an active person. Working has always been a part of my life and when I look back I have always been involved in something. In 1958, I graduated from Harding High School in Charlotte, NC. I attended Woman’s College (now UNCG) in Greensboro for one year and then King’s College in Charlotte, NC where I earned a degree in Accounting.

After graduation and in the early stages of my career, I married my husband Lee Hinshaw. Lee and I moved to Columbia, SC where we started our family — and I did not work outside the home for 8 years while my children grew up.

In 1983, we moved our family to the High Country and I worked at ASU for 16 years. After retirement, I was looking for something meaningful to do and decided to volunteer at Watauga Medical Center. 

Since 2005, I have volunteered under the guidance of three different volunteer coordinators at the hospital.

If someone were to ask me what I like about volunteering at the hospital I would say that it gives me a chance to meet new people and see old friends. In a small community like this, I run into people all the time that I have not seen in years. I would also say that I really do look forward to the routine of going in to volunteer every week. It gives me a sense of purpose. Serving others is very rewarding, of course.

Winston Churchill once said, “You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.” And Carol has certainly given a lot to Watauga Medical Center.

Learn more about volunteering at ARHS >