Evangel Christian School senior Noelle Barrows recalls many fond memories playing on the Evangel girls soccer team.

“I loved the atmosphere of our team because we were a close-knit and encouraging group,” Barrows said. “We held Bible studies led by a different player each week. My teammates grew me as a soccer player, as well as in my walk with Christ.”

Other favorite moments during her time at Evangel Christian School included singing in the choir.

“I have always loved music, so singing with my close friends made music extra special to me,” Barrows said. “I could go on and on about how much I have enjoyed during my years at Evangel. I have made the greatest friendships and countless memories that will last a lifetime.”

Barrows graduated with a 4.0 GPA and was in the National Honor Society. She was president of the class of 2020 and held multiple officer positions in the ECS Key Club. Barrows was the co-captain of the ECS soccer team; she also plays piano and sings in her church worship band and nannies two children in the afternoons.

Barrows said her favorite subject is history because she enjoys learning about different governments and eras and reading the literature from old authors.

When many senior events and activities were abruptly canceled due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Barrows said she has mourned many of the “lasts” that she missed during her final semester of high school.

“I would be lying if I said this past semester had been easy,” Barrows said. “My last prom, last class, last choir concert, last soccer game, graduation. I feel like I do not have any closure for this 12-year chapter of my life. But, on the flip side, I am thankful for the peace that I have rooted in my faith in Christ. I don’t know where I would be mentally and emotionally right now if it weren’t for my faith. But, because of that, I know no matter what I face, God knows and sees me. He has not abandoned me or forgotten me. He is with me even now in this insane time.”

One piece of advice Barrows has enjoyed throughout her life came from her mom.

“My mom has this saying that she has said to me and my siblings since we were little, ‘remember who you are and whose you are.’ This saying has always stuck with me,” she said. “It is a reminder to stay true to myself and not conform to what other people expect me to be or what other people are doing. I am me, and I do not need to change myself to match anyone else’s standards of who I should be. This advice has stuck with me throughout high school, and I will remember it as I go on to college.”

One memory Barrows said she will take away from her time at ECS was participating in her senior walkout at the homecoming football game in the fall.

“All of the seniors got to walk across the field with their parents as their name was called out on the speakers,” she said. “It was such a sweet moment and it validated all of the hard work and accomplishment that we achieved in high school.”

Barrows said she will miss many things from her time at Evangel Christian including her classmates, fun events, football games, choir, soccer and the school dances, but most of all she will miss the school’s administrators Bill and Sandy Snuggs, and the school’s secretary Leslie Lane.

“These three sweet people have impacted my life much more than they even realize,” Barrows said. “They are always so kind to me and they give the greatest hugs. Whenever I or anyone else at the school needs to talk, they are there to listen. They have the sweetest souls and are always there for anything you might need.”

Barrows plans to attend the University of Montevallo to major in graphic design and a minor in marketing.

Barrows is the daughter of Dwight and Krista Barrows. She is the youngest of four siblings including Nicolas, Noah and Natalie.