She made people feel included. That was her superpower.”

Betsy Friedman

For many students walking the track at Barrington High School last week, the moment seemed simple — classmates circling the field together, teachers huddling together, and friends laughing under the sun. But behind every step of the Be Kind Like Caroline Memorial Walk was the memory of a young woman whose kindness left a lasting imprint on most everyone she met.

Created in loving memory of Caroline Friedman, the Be Kind Like Caroline Foundation has quickly grown from a small, intimate effort into something far larger: a movement rooted in inclusion, compassion and connection.

Caroline, who was born prematurely and faced lifelong health challenges, including open-heart surgery at just two months old, spent her life proving predictions wrong. Though she endured countless medical obstacles, those closest to her say she rarely let others see her struggle.

“She always had a smile on her face,” said her mother, Betsy Friedman. “No matter how badly she felt, she would put a smile on her face and not let people know that.”

But Caroline was never defined by limitations. Instead, family members say she approached life with humor, persistence and an enthusiasm that was impossible to ignore.

Once, during an especially long stay at Boston Children’s Hospital, Caroline decided she wanted to brighten people’s days by decorating stethoscopes with colorful duct tape patterns. Soon, doctors and nurses from throughout the hospital were dropping off their stethoscopes at the foot of her bed and returning later to pick them up.

“She was always a force to be reckoned with whenever she discovered a new interest,” her family said.

When Caroline wanted to swim like everyone else as a child, she wore a custom-made dry suit designed to keep her medical backpack dry. Years later, after deciding she wanted a job at her favorite ice cream spot, Oxford Creamery in Mattapoisett, she simply asked for one.

“Like everyone else, they quickly fell under her spell,” her family said. Caroline spent two summers working there, often motivated by the possibility of a lobster roll waiting for her after her shift.

Scholarships for inspired students

This year’s memorial walk marked a significant step forward for the foundation. What began last year as a gathering organized largely by school staff and community members has since evolved into an official nonprofit organization with a 15-member board, community initiatives and scholarships aimed at carrying Caroline’s spirit forward.

“We really were not doing much at first. We were just showing up,” Betsy said. “Then we kind of took it a little bit more seriously. We formed the board, formed the nonprofit and got the scholarships going.”

This week, the foundation awarded two scholarships to Barrington High School students involved in inclusion programs such as Best Buddies, Unified Theater, Unified Volleyball and Unified Basketball. Rather than focusing on academics, the scholarships recognize students who demonstrated kindness, inclusion and a desire to carry those values into the community.

The recipients of this year’s Caroline Friedman Memorial Scholarships, announced Thursday evening at Barrington High School, were Linsey Ornstedt and Ziyue Xing.

“The scholarship is not about what your grades are,” said Caroline’s father, Ted Friedman. “It’s really about how participating in those programs impacted you and how you wanted to pay it forward.”

Ornstedt wrote about volunteering with autistic children outside of school after being inspired through Unified participation, an example the Friedmans said perfectly reflected the scholarship’s purpose.

“It inspired her to do this on her own,” Betsy said. “That’s exactly what we’re hoping for.”

A legacy of kindness

For the Friedmans, the walk itself serves as another way to introduce younger students to Caroline’s legacy, especially those who may not have known her personally.

“I just want kids to remember to be kind,” Ted said. “A lot of them may not know Caroline, but they can know who she was and maybe let some of that radiate onto them.”

That message of kindness surfaced repeatedly throughout conversations with Caroline’s family, friends and former teachers during the walk. Again and again, the same descriptions emerged: kind, loving, inclusive and caring.

“One of the things we always say is she made people better,” Betsy said. “People would get to know her and think, ‘I want to be a better person, because she’s so awesome.’ ”

Her sister, Addy Friedman, remembered Caroline as someone who brought energy and positivity into everyday life.

“Caroline was very energetic at home, but she could also be really shy around people she didn’t know well,” Addy said. “She always had a Dunkin’ coffee with her at school and would somehow still be drinking it at like 2 in the afternoon.”

Music, she said, was one of Caroline’s biggest loves.

“She listened to everything, pop music, old music, anything,” Addy said. “She always used to joke, ‘Music is my life,’ because she knew it would make people laugh.”

‘Family Fun House’

One of Caroline’s lasting traditions continues through a family group chat she created called the “Family Fun House,” which remains active today.

“She texted every morning saying, ‘Good morning,’ or asking how everyone’s day was going,” Addy said. “She always wanted to make sure everybody was okay.”

Family members also remembered Caroline’s love for sunsets, beach days, baking and gathering people together. She loved Taylor Swift, Queen, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry and Chappell Roan. She loved sushi, charcuterie boards, planning parties and trips, making homemade ice cream, taking photos of family and friends, and sending endless sunset and dog pictures.

At Barrington High School, she participated in Unified Basketball, where her nickname became “Can’t Miss Caroline.”

“She appreciated every moment,” Betsy said. “She would literally run outside for sunsets.”

That appreciation for life shaped the mission of the foundation as it looks ahead toward future projects.

In addition to scholarships, the foundation is providing support to the Barrington Transition Academy and exploring future community initiatives inspired by Caroline’s passions — from gardens and trees planted at schools to donations supporting local animal shelters.

“She loved dogs. She would have rescued 400 dogs if she could,” Betsy said with a laugh.

For Addy, watching the community continue to rally around her sister’s memory has been emotional in the best way.

“Seeing everyone outside together, walking around, talking face-to-face and not just sitting on their phones, it really makes me happy,” she said. “That’s the kind of thing Caroline loved.”

She hopes students leave the event carrying some of Caroline’s outlook with them.

“I hope people take away the importance of kindness and inclusion,” Addy said. “And I hope they leave with a more positive way of looking at life.”

Even in grief, the Friedmans have created something centered not around loss, but around the life Caroline lived and the kindness she gave so freely.

“She made people feel included,” Betsy said. “That was her superpower.”