The 2024 annual Washington D.C. pro-life march is coming up shortly, and Students for Life of America (SFLA) is extremely proud to have one of our own students representing the Pro-Life Generation on the speaker list. The theme for this 51st March — “With Every Woman, For Every Child” — beautifully illustrates SFLA’s goal to see life protected in both law and service, and we’re excited to listen to SFLA student leader Dominick Tolentino further expound on this from the podium during the pre-march rally. Learn more about Tolentino and his pro-life activism below:
Currently a senior at Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) studying Architectural Engineering, Tolentino maintains that while he was brought up pro-life, his passion for the cause really kicked in during college when he became involved with SFLA. He relayed to SFLA:
“As a cradle Catholic, I’ve been pro-life since I was born, but it wasn’t a value that really stuck out to me until high school when I first attended the March for Life. In college, I became more informed on the topic, and it was then that I considered myself truly pro-life. The sanctity of life was no longer just something I had been taught; it was something I believed in. That’s when I joined Students for Life of America in my sophomore year, and from there, that kickstarted it all. Once I got the facts and became a part of the group, talking with both my pro-life peers and those on the other side of the aisle, I realized just how important this movement truly is and how I wanted to be involved.
“When speaking at the rally, I’m excited to have the opportunity to showcase the fact that you don’t need your own experience with abortion to be passionately pro-life. In fact, that is no excuse for being lukewarm. Regardless of our experiences, we should all fight for life.”
Tolentino currently serves as the president of Penn State Students for Life, the SFLA group on campus. Through his leadership for the past two years, the fantastic group helps to effectively spread the pro-life message on campus and practice what they preach in the community, as well.
Demonstrating a true love for women and families in vulnerable situations, Penn State Students for Life has maintained a very close, supportive relationship with a local pregnancy resource center (PRC). To help continually further this PRC’s mission through financial support, the group has sold concessions at Penn State football games with proceeds going to the center. Another way they fundraise for the center through an annual 5k run hosted in their honor. Both their concessions and the yearly race help not only to provide the means which keep the PRC running but also help to shine light on this available resource.
Of all their accomplishments, Tolentino is most proud of his group’s closeness with this PRC, saying: “It’s been our mission for the last two years to do as much as possible in fundraising for them and trying to get the word out on campus that they exist. We want all Penn State students to know that they’re not alone; that there is a place they can go to if they need pregnancy and parenting help. I’m so happy we’ve become such good friends with the PRC, and we’re excited that they’re even coming with us to the March.”
The Penn State Students for Life also host the changing SFLA campus display tours every semester, utilizing them to inspire productive conversations on campus about abortion and the right to life. When the group hosted SFLA’s spring 2023 This is Chemical Abortion tour, they spoke with nearly 200 of their peers.
Tolentino also helped to bring SFLA President Kristan Hawkins’ earlier speaking tour (entitled Make Abortion Illegal Again) on campus in the 2022 fall semester. You can learn more about this tour stop —which included at least one amazing mind-change story — by clicking HERE to read another SFLA blog entitled “SFLA President Kristan Hawkins’ ‘Make Abortion Illegal Again’ Tour is a Wrap: Check Out These Winning Stories.”
Clearly, the Penn State Students for Life and Tolentino have made SFLA very proud as they continue to be beacons of pro-life light and an excellent example for other groups. Make sure you listen to Tolentino’s speech at the rally and keep an eye out for his group, as well, who have been asked to hold the banner at the very front of the March!
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