Young Life on the
North Shore
Our beginning on the North Shore took place in 1948, starting with New Trier High School. Now active at Glenbrook North, Glenbrook South, and New Trier Township High Schools, our dedicated leadership team is passionate about hearing, seeing, and knowing students for who they are.
There is a team of people who give several hours every week to make this mission possible. Our Young Life leaders are students from Northwestern University and working adults who have committed to building friendships with students in this community. Our Committee is a group of caring adults who share the vision to support students, leaders, and staff in a variety of roles.
Whether you are a college student, working adult, parent, civic leader, or YL alumni, we invite you to join us in this rewarding and exciting experience!
Does it matter?
4 out of 5
Young Life participants
consider Young Life and its leaders to be a significant influence on their faith.
94%
of volunteer leaders and staff
would overwhelmingly recommend their Young Life leadership experience to a friend.
SARAH HIGGINS
Area Director
Sarah has been working with Young Life North Shore since 2013. Prior to that, she was a Youth Director at a church in Florida. Sarah attended the University of Florida (Go Gators!) and graduated in 2009 with a degree in in Political Science. In 2021, she obtained a Masters in Mental Health Counseling and a Masters in Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where her husband, Tim, also graduated from seminary before becoming a pastor at a church in the area. Sarah loves every dessert imaginable, being a mom to Eiljah and Davin, all things Harry Potter, Young Life camp, and the Florida Gators.
Contact: shiggins@ylchicago.com
LILY RUKLICK
Staff Associate: Glenbrook North & WyldLife
Lily has volunteered for Young Life North Shore since 2021 and came on staff in January 2024. But her time with Young Life North Shore dates back to her time as a student at GBN Young Life when it was just starting up in 2013. After the life-changing impact GBN YL had on her as a student, Lily is thrilled for the opportunity to help lead, equip and fuel the ministry as our team lead for Glenbrook North and staff associate for Northbrook WyldLife. Lily graduated from University of Missouri in 2020 and works full-time for a marketing agency in addition to working for Young Life. Lily loves football, the beach and all things Chicago.
Contact:
lilyruklick@gmail.com
RILEY MALLOY
Staff Associate: New Trier
Riley started working with Young Life in 2024 and is the team leader for New Trier. Riley grew up in Denver, CO, graduated from Texas Christian University in 2020, earned her Master's in speech-language pathology from Northwestern University in 2022 and now - in addition to Young Life - works as an early intervention speech-language pathologist. After arriving in Chicago, Riley also spent three years as a volunteer leader at Glenbrook North High School, where she fell in love with the vision and mission of Young Life.
Contact: rileymalloyy@gmail.com
IT MATTERS:
A PARENT PERSPECTIVE
"Young Life has been a lifeline for my kids. They have built incredible relationships, felt supported, and had a space to bring questions and findings as it relates to their faith. The leaders want all kids to know that they are loved whether they are tall, short, athletic, artistic, popular, shy, confident or broken. Because of the Young Life leaders, our kids experience an unconditional love that they don’t always get from those around them."
-Lisa Snyder, Glenbrook South mom
Caleb, Jake, and Abby Snyder pictured above
