Carley Gathright (Lakeshore WyldLife)

Carley is a pharmacist by profession, but she continues to make time in her busy schedule to invest deeply in the lives of middle school students. Now in her third year as a WyldLife leader, Carley began serving as a volunteer leader with Uptown WyldLife and now serves as the team leader at Lakeshore WyldLife.

One of Carley’s greatest strengths is contact work. She understands the importance of showing up in kids’ lives and meeting them where they are. Each week, you can find her at the school connecting with students, and she regularly attends sporting events to cheer them on. Even more, she encourages the other leaders on her team to join her, helping them see how meaningful those everyday moments with kids can be.

Carley is incredibly dependable and consistent. Whether it’s contact work, club, or campaigners, she shows up faithfully and genuinely loves being with kids. Her commitment to building relationships, her willingness to lead by example, and her heart for helping students know they are seen and cared for make such an impact. We are so thankful for Carley and the time, energy, and heart she gives to WyldLife!

Tim Manzer (Traverse City High School)

Tim is a retired pastor who has found a new place to pour into the lives of others as a Young Life leader at Traverse City High School. Although he has only been leading for a year, Tim has jumped in wholeheartedly and has quickly become an incredible example of what it looks like to do contact work well and build meaningful relationships with students.

Tim consistently shows up and finds creative ways to meet kids right where they are. Whether it’s getting together during lunch, helping out in PE classes, monitoring the high school weight room, or even stopping by to visit students while they’re at work, Tim is intentional about being present in their world. He faithfully creates opportunities to know kids, listen to them, and remind them that they matter and were created by a loving Father.

Tim’s heart for serving others extends far beyond Young Life. He is also involved in prison ministry and serves as a hospital chaplain, continuing to walk alongside people in all different seasons of life. We are so grateful for the energy, consistency, and genuine care Tim brings to Young Life. In just one year, he has already made an incredible impact, and we’re thankful for the way he continues to show up and share the love and hope of Jesus with students at Traverse City High School.