When high school students step into elementary gyms wearing capes and courage, the lessons go far beyond “just say no.”
At first glance, it looked like any other school assembly — a buzz of excited chatter and rows of wiggly little Bulldogs perched on the edge of their seats. But look closer, and you’d see something special taking shape.
A group of Wylie High School students, dressed as everything from Glinda the Good Witch to the Hulk and even a scrappy little Toto, aren’t just performing. They’re mentoring, encouraging, and leading.
This is PALS — Peer Assistance and Leadership, one of Wylie’s most beloved programs. Led by Mrs. Madeline Jones, PALS gives juniors and seniors the chance to mentor younger Bulldogs while spreading messages about kindness, confidence, and healthy choices.
And this week, during Red Ribbon Week, the message was clear: heroes make healthy choices — and kindness might be the greatest superpower of all.
A Full-Circle Moment
For senior Baylor Crawford, this week was more than just skits and laughter — it was personal.
“I had a PAL when I was in fifth grade,” Baylor said, smiling at the memory. “It feels like a full-circle moment now — to be the person I used to look up to.”
She admitted that she wasn’t sure she’d make the cut when she applied. “There are so many great people who want to be PALS,” she said. “But I just prayed and told God that if it’s meant to happen, it’ll happen — and it did. It’s been one of the biggest blessings of my senior year.”
Baylor, who hopes to one day become a Christian counselor, sees PALS as the perfect training ground for the kind of listener and encourager she hopes to become. “I’ve been through seasons of anxiety and loss,” she said softly. “Just this year, I’ve lost five people in my life. But being a PAL has helped me find laughter again. Every time I step into a classroom, it reminds me that there’s still light to share — and that kids can teach you so much about resilience.”
Her favorite piece of advice? It came from a seven-year-old family friend: “Take one step at a time.”
“She was so young,” Baylor said, “but honestly, that’s some of the best advice I’ve ever heard.”
Finding the Light — Even in Oz
Across the gym floor, senior Daisy Smith adjusts her shimmering crown. She’s Glinda the Good Witch — complete with pink tulle, a glitter wand, and a megawatt smile that lights up every room she walks into.
When asked how she landed the role, Daisy laughed. “We got to write down what we wanted to be,” she said. “I completely forgot about Glinda at first, but when I got the part, it just felt perfect. She’s joyful and kind — exactly what I want to bring to these kids.”
For Daisy, PALS isn’t about performance — it’s about presence.
“The kids are so little,” she said. “I know they’re not really thinking about drugs or peer pressure yet. But what they are learning is character. Integrity. That it’s cool to be kind. When they see high schoolers they look up to choosing joy and kindness, it plants a seed.”
She remembers watching the PALS perform when she was younger, dreaming that one day she could be one too. Now, as a senior, she realizes just how much those visits meant. “It’s weird to think I might be that person for them now,” she said. “And it makes me want to live up to it.”
But PALS hasn’t been all sparkle and glitter for Daisy — it’s also been eye-opening. She mentors three students: a kindergartener, a pre-K student, and a fifth grader. “You’d never know what some of these kids are going through,” she said. “One of my students had trouble hearing and struggled to communicate. Another talked about being hungry and missing meals. You start to see the world differently — you stop judging people and start leading with compassion.”
Daisy plans to carry that empathy into her future career. “I want to be a pediatric physician assistant,” she said. “I think I’m drawn to helping kids who are sick or hurting — I want to be that light in a hard season for them.”
The Strength to Lead
Senior Campbell McCray didn’t need a cape to be a hero — though it didn’t hurt that his Hulk muscles stole the show.
For Campbell, PALS is about courage — not the kind that smashes through walls, but the kind that sits beside a second grader and listens.
“I’ve always felt called to help people,” he said. “Being a PAL lets me use that gift. It’s not just about being funny or loud on stage — it’s about showing these kids that leadership looks like kindness.”
Campbell brought that mix of humor and heart to every skit this week. One minute he was flexing as the Hulk, the next he was trading jokes with Spider-Man or helping Glinda deliver a pep talk.
“When I see those little faces light up,” he said, “it reminds me why we do this. Even if they don’t remember the skit word-for-word, they’ll remember how we made them feel.”
He believes that the theme of Red Ribbon Week — “Be Kind. Be Healthy. Be Drug-Free.” — ties perfectly into what the PALS program teaches year-round. “It’s not just about saying no to drugs,” he said. “It’s about saying yes to life. Yes to being kind. Yes to taking care of yourself.”
Campbell plans to continue mentoring after graduation. He’s applied to Texas A&M University and hopes to join the Youth Impact program, which pairs college students with local children who need extra support. “It’s a lot like PALS,” he said. “You pick them up, play sports, and just be there for them. That’s what I want to keep doing — being there.”
“Be Here Now”
Each year, the PALS choose a theme that guides them. This year, it’s Be Here Now — a reminder to be fully present with every student they meet.
“It’s easy to get caught up in senior year — college applications, last games, last dances,” Daisy said. “But we’ve learned that some of the most meaningful moments happen in the small, quiet conversations with our PALS. Just being there, listening, and laughing with them — that’s what matters.”
Campbell agrees. “We all want to be superheroes,” he said. “But the truth is, we already have a superpower — it’s the ability to love others and be kind. If every kid walks away knowing that, we’ve done our job.”
A Ripple of Hope
The heart behind the program begins with Mrs. Jones, who quietly leads the PALS class with equal parts patience and purpose. Her students credit her for creating a space where they can be themselves — and grow into the kind of leaders Wylie is proud of.
“Mrs. Jones is the glue that holds us together,” Campbell said. “She believes in us and gives us the freedom to be creative, but she also reminds us why it matters — that what we do can really make a difference for these kids.”
From campus to campus, that difference was easy to see. Laughter echoed through the gyms, high-fives were shared, and lessons took root. When a first grader shouted, “Go Spider-Man!” or a fifth grader whispered, “I want to be a PAL someday,” the impact was already in motion.
Principal Caren Christian summed it up best:
“Our students who have the opportunity to be matched with a high school PALS student simply light up when their PALS student comes to visit. When our students see such great role models, it helps them know that they can grow up to be great role models too.”
Red Ribbon Week may have ended, but its message — and the example set by Wylie’s PALS — will last long after the costumes are packed away.
