Darby Norris

I’m Darby Norris, a senior at Lake Travis High School, and this is my second year leading WyldLife.

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The main reason I decided to become a WyldLife leader was to grow in my relationship with Christ. When I first started attending Young Life and learning more about God, my faith grew so much. Something about the way leaders spoke during club talks really stood out to me—it made everything click on a deeper level. I knew I wanted the opportunity to do the same for someone else and help bring them closer to Jesus, just as my leaders did for me.

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When I was in middle school, I was blessed to be part of WyldLife and had amazing leaders whom I truly looked up to—and still keep in touch with today. I remember attending my first Young Life club as a freshman and hearing the leaders talk to the upperclassmen about becoming WyldLife leaders. I thought to myself, I can’t wait until it’s my turn. Now, I’m so grateful I made the decision to step into this role—I’ve loved every minute of it.

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Hanging out with middle schoolers can definitely be challenging at times, but it’s also so much fun. My favorite part is their energy. While they may seem shy and reserved at first, once you get to know them, their true personalities shine through. They’re full of enthusiasm and joy—and always ready to have fun. I also feel like I can genuinely relate to them because my own middle school years weren’t that long ago. Whether they’re dealing with friend drama, anxiety about school or sports, or family struggles, I’ve probably experienced something similar. It gives me the chance to connect with them and remind them that they’ll get through it.

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Some of my favorite memories come from WyldLife weekend at LoneHollow Ranch. The whole weekend was packed with laughter—girls peeing their pants from laughing so hard, dancing at club, sharing meals, and doing countless fun activities. But what stands out the most is how many times we leaders got pied in the face. On the first morning, there was a scavenger hunt, and once the girls completed all the tasks on their list, they got to pie their leaders. It might not sound fun for us, but seeing their faces light up and hearing their laughter made it totally worth it. It also helped set the tone for the rest of the weekend and built a new level of trust, allowing the girls to open up even more.

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I’ve seen God work in so many ways through leading WyldLife, and I know He’ll keep moving this year too. Some of my favorite moments are when kids tell me about a new devotional they’re reading or when I see them starting to dive into the Word on their own. One powerful example was during our last cabin time at LoneHollow. It was late at night after the club talk, and we started chatting about the message. At first, the conversation was light and surface-level, but as the girls reflected, they began asking deeper, more meaningful questions. Watching them engage with challenging topics showed me that the weekend—and what they were hearing about God—was genuinely strengthening their faith.

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I’ve always heard that growing your faith happens in stages: being present in the Word, diving in on your own, and then serving God’s people. Becoming a WyldLife leader has been my first real step in that last part—serving others. It’s given me a whole new perspective on what it means to follow Jesus and help bring others closer to Him.