Senior Spotlight is a feature column that highlights graduating seniors at Rock Hill High School, interested in showcasing Blue Hawk talent. Barnes was the 2025 recipient of the ICSEEU (Integrity, Creativity, Service, Empathy, Excellence, Unity) Creativity award.

When Evan Barnes signed up for choir in seventh grade at Rogers Middle School, he didn’t know the decision would shape his high school career.

“[Me and my brothers] were going to do something piano-related, but they didn’t have anything like that,” Barnes said. “So we joined choir instead—and I’ve followed with it ever since.”

Now a senior and section leader in the chamber choir, Barnes’ voice sings not only of music but leadership and growth. This year, Barnes was selected as an All-State Tenor Bass Choir performer by the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) through a four-audition process, the first tenor-bass student in school history to earn that honor.

“My favorite [accomplishment] from this year was making TMEA,” Barnes said. “It was really hard—competing against everyone in the area and then going to San Antonio.”

Barnes is admitted to the University of North Texas as a psychology major but plans to change his major to music education.

“I honestly wouldn’t know what to do without music,” Barnes said. “I also would like to try out for a choir at UNT, hopefully to get into the University Singers, which is one of the best choirs.”

His passion for music doesn’t stop at performance. Barnes wants to pass on his love for music and help others develop their voices and musical talents.

“I  want to help others in becoming great choirs in the future,” Barnes said. “If that’s high school, middle school, or college—I’m not sure yet.”

That same drive to support others shows up in other parts of his school life, too. He joined Student Council in sophomore year and as vice president this year, has taken a hands-on role in shaping school spirit and student life.

“I thought it was really cool to see how we bring school spirit and have different committees, like DASH (drug, alcohol, safety, and health), energy and environment, pride and patriotism and community service,” Barnes said.

Through his participation in Student Council, Barnes has learned what it truly means to be a leader.

“Sometimes, you have to be certain and put on a happy face, even when things aren’t always great,” Barnes said. “It’s a lot about presenting yourself and others, knowing what to do, and avoiding procrastination.”

He’s also learned the importance of saying “no” to and managing priorities.

“I’ve learned to be better at knowing when to say, ‘Oh, I need to go to this instead of this,’” Barnes said. “I’ve learned how to organize events, and how to deal with conflict. There’s definitely going to be conflict, but you have to try to find a balance between everything.”

Another one of Barnes’ passions is photography. Last year, he captured theater productions like “Mean Girls” and “Little Shop of Horrors,” some of which he showcased on his photography website.

“The thing I like about photography is being able to capture the essence—the pureness—of theater,” Barnes said. “It’s like being able to stop time, and sometimes you can look through other people’s perspectives at that moment.”

Whether through a camera lens or a choir performance, Barnes sees creativity as a way to connect.

“I feel like I’ve tried a lot of different things, and the ones I do kind of click in my brain, if that makes sense,” Barnes said. “Photography and music both have a special place in my heart. One of my favorite things is seeing my work published—like photos published online—and then seeing myself sing with other choirs, which is cool.”

Looking back, Barnes says high school has been a journey of learning how to balance responsibilities, manage procrastination, and—most importantly—grow into someone he’s proud to be. 

“I would tell my freshman self to not worry as much and to look into the future more,” Barnes said. “ I think my freshman self just didn’t really look at people the same way I do now—I didn’t understand others the way I do now.”

And while Barnes is excited about what lies ahead, he’ll miss the small moments that he feels gave these years their magic.

“I’ll miss choir, but I’ll also miss the little things, like walking in the hall and seeing my friends after a long time,” Barnes said.