Sisterhood Spotlight

Young Life Leader
What inspired you to join Young Life and be part of its mission?
If you’ve ever walked the busy halls of a high school or even looked into the bleachers at a high school sporting event, you’ve seen a sea of teenager faces. Some of those faces were joyful, some mischievous, others sad, anxious, or just blank. Each of those faces represent a story, many of which involve a great deal of pain, brokenness, and loneliness that are all masked by perfect-looking Instagram posts. I was once a lonely high schooler carrying around a great deal of pain, wondering if there was someone out there who might see me and want to know me. My life completely changed after learning that I was seen, known, and loved by the God of the universe. I believe every single high school student deserves the chance to hear the truth about this love from a trusted friend. Young Life is the best tool I’ve found that offers this chance to as many teenagers as possible!
How do you build meaningful connections with teenagers in your community?
In Young Life, we have a saying that “A kid doesn’t care what you say until they know that you care about them.” As a Young Life leader, I communicate that I care about teenagers by caring enough to step into their world instead of requiring them to come to me. This looks like going to their gymnastics meets, driving to see their cheer competitions, and going to their chorus concerts. Proximity communicates that we care. Young Life leaders show up consistently in high schoolers lives, learn their names, and want to know about their lives. I try to listen more than I talk. We all desire to be known and teenagers are no different!
What resources would you recommend to help young people grow in their faith and navigate life’s challenges?
My dream is that every teenager would have a caring adult, outside of their parents, who loves them and wants to listen through the joyful and painful times. (I really wish they could all have a Young Life leader!) This is probably the most important resource for young people to walk through life and grow in their faith. For the readers, I’d recommend a devotional called Being With Jesus by Jim Branch.
What impact have you seen Young Life camps make in the lives of young people?
At Young Life camp, teenagers hear the message of Jesus in a way specially catered for them to understand, in a place where every detail is designed for them to experience firsthand the joy and belonging that comes with life with Jesus. Over the years, I’ve seen many high school girls come to Young Life camp just because their Young Life leader loved them and promised it would be the best week of their lives. Throughout the course of the week, they realize that what they’re actually looking for is the truth that they’re loved unconditionally. This truth changes everything.
My friend Jessica learned that despite the pain she’d experienced as a child, God was with her and wanted to heal her. My friend Noel realized that all of her relationships with boys were cheap substitutions for the ultimate love of God and she decided she wanted the real thing. My friend Christina believed for the first time that God’s love for her didn’t depend on her performance, and she began to love the girls on her gymnastics team in such a way that their lives were changed. Camp has been the catalyst that changed my friends’ hearts, career choices, spouses. My friends Ashlyn and Olivia and Molly just recently learned that God’s love for them is what they’ve been missing. They’ve made the decision to live their lives for something bigger than themselves. I can’t wait to see the plans for their lives.
About Tracy
I’m a Virginian through and through! I grew up on a farm in Louisa, received my Master’s in Elementary Education from the University of Virginia, and have loved calling Richmond home for the last few years. After working as a third grade teacher in Albemarle for five years, I felt God’s call to go on full-time staff with Young Life. I had the chance to be a Young Life leader in my hometown, at the high school I graduated from, for four years and those were some of the best memories of my life. I’ve now been a Young Life leader in the Richmond West End for eight years and God continues to amaze me! When I’m not coaching JV lacrosse or drinking Starbucks with high school girls, I love cooking, going on walks at the James, and spending time with my niece and nephew.