Barbara Carroll was born and raised on Sand Mountain. She graduated from Geraldine High School in 1969 and from Northeast Alabama Community College in 1973. She then attended the University of Alabama extension center at Gadsden State Community College. She moved to Birmingham in 1973 and completed her B.S. in Secondary Education with minors in history and biological science in 1975. Barbara earned her M.A. in English from the University of Montevallo  and her Ed. S. in One of Barbara's fondest achievements was that she and her best friend tied for the honor of The Outstanding Graduate Student in Secondary Education: AA at Montevallo.

Barbara married Danny Carroll in 1978 and continued to live in Bessemer, Alabama. She taught at Parson's Academy, Oak Grove High School, Lipscomb Jr. High School, and Minor High School before she and her husband moved to Bowman's Cross Roads in Jackson County. Barbara taught seventh grade at Scottsboro Jr. High School until she retired in 2004. Shortly after retiring from the public school system, Barbara joined the Northeast faculty as an adjunct instructor in English.

She and Danny have four beautiful daughters and four grandchildren. Barbara enjoys reading, cross-stitching, playing Spider Solitaire, being outside with her two daughters Brittany (17) and Kayla (7) who attend Pisgah High School.  She also enjoys the volunteer work that she does for Dekalb Interfaith Medical Clinic as a receptionist and for her church, Trinity United Methodist Church (Burnt Church) in Rainsville as a Bible study leader on Wednesday night.

Barbara feels that she has been very fortunate to have worked for 37 years in a profession which brings her so much pleasure and which she feels helps others.  Barbara's desire is to make her little part of the world the best it can be and to learn from each person she meets.