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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

NORTH SHELBY – Parents, family members and friends proudly stood up while “Pomp and Circumstance” began to echo throughout the sanctuary as the Evangel Christian School class of 2025 entered the room to begin the school’s 21st annual commencement exercises.

On Saturday, May 17, Evangel Christian School said goodbye to 193 graduating seniors during commencement at the Church at Brook Hills.

“It is a joy to gather today to celebrate the accomplishments of (the) ECS class of 2025 graduates and rejoice in God’s faithfulness to each of them,” ECS Administrator Bill Snuggs said.

During the opening of the ceremony, Snuggs introduced senior salutatorian Jonathan Hooks who has been homeschooled since second grade. Hooks is a graduate member of the Birmingham Boys Choir and was one of five featured vocal soloists at the Young Voices Festival at the University of Alabama. With his high school education complete, Hooks plans to study pre-medicine and music with the hope to attend medical school for orthopedics. He will attend Samford University in the fall.

Hooks led a prayer during the ceremony expressing gratitude for the mentors who helped the class during their time at ECS and asked for strength and fortitude to live out the Gospel.

“As we move on from our high school and begin a new chapter (in) our lives, whether it be college, work, a gap year or whatever it may be, we ask you to guide us on our paths and keep us close to you,” Hooks said.

Senior valedictorian Maria Yaeger welcomed attendees to the ceremony and spoke on the significance of the major milestone the class of 2025 had finally arrived at.

“If you’re wearing this hat, it means you’ve spent countless hours in school and outside of school learning and growing,” she said. “Today, we honor that. The high school diploma you are about to receive is a symbol of the hard work and dedication you put in to gain the knowledge and skills you need to thrive as an adult. But this diploma also reflects the support and commitment of your parents, teachers, friends and mentors who helped bring you to this point.”

Yaeger was home schooled her entire life and her academic excellence has earned national merit recognition. She received maxima cum laude on the National Latin Exam, awards for Leadership Training for Christ and membership in the Eta Sigma Alpha honor society. Yaeger will attend Freed-Hardeman University where she plans to pursue dual degrees in chemistry and arts and humanities to become a secondary school teacher.

Each year since 2004, Evangel Christian School presents the Lightning Scholarship to honor and thank the graduate who has most demonstrated their dedication to furthering the goals and vision of ECS through service to its mission.

The 21st annual Lightning Scholarship of $1,500 was presented to John McIntyre Hendrix who has been a member of the varsity soccer team at Evangel where he served as team captain for three years and was awarded ACSC All-Conference honors. After being presented with the scholarship, Hendrix delivered a charge to his fellow graduates.

“Congratulations class of 2025, we did it,” Hendrix said. “We made it. It was not easy going to get to this day but we did. There were a lot of late nights, early mornings, days we felt like we had it all and days it felt like the world was crushing us. Yet we still persevered. We kept going, no matter what stood in our way. As we move to this next part of our lives, we can see all the Lord has done for us… When you wake up in the morning, we do not have to do anything, but we get to do everything because of Christ on the cross.”

After the awarding of diplomas, the class of 2025 senior class officers took to the stage for the traditional passing of the bolt which was delivered to the class of 2026 president Erin Eicher—officially marking the new official senior class of ECS.