William Wilberforce Fellow Jennifer Scott is a student at Texas Women’s University (TWU) and one of the few Fellows in the 2023-2024 school year who was able to start a brand-new SFLA group at her university. Read about her story, activism, and journey in pro-life leadership below.  

Joining the Pro-Life Movement

Like many others, my story with Students for Life of America (SFLA) began with stumbling across a Kristan Hawkins video. Her compelling and consistent arguments during a campus tour immediately impressed me. I had to learn more, so I emailed Kristian asking if SFLA had a local group, and she connected me to Faith Elwonger. From there, I started to tag along with Elwonger on-campus visits. As I became more involved in SFLA, she nominated me for the William Wilberforce Fellowship, for which I am eternally grateful. This experience provided me with opportunities to be a champion for life while educating myself and others on different facets of the pro-life movement.  

Starting a New SFLA Group

As a Fellow, I spearheaded Pioneers for Life at TWU, my most significant accomplishment. When mothers are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy, choosing life is less daunting when supportive services are accessible, and I envisioned our group being a part of that positive impact.  

Pioneers for Life now has a total of 23 members, and we focus on creating community support community support and involvement by providing reputable services conveniently located where people can receive genuine support and guidance. When people are directed to online support, they’re sometimes less likely to keep returning. Human connection is important. I hope to connect students, faculty, staff, and even local community members to services within Denton and neighboring cities where they can receive or be involved in providing support.  

Pioneers for Life also sought to educate our peers and bring attention to the injustice of abortion and the dignity of human life through SFLA tabling tours. As with any countercultural demonstration, we faced opposition. Our hostility consisted of the typical mocking and false accusations of our group “harassing students.” 

The most interesting aspect of tabling was that these voices of opposition, though loud, were few. Most students and faculty were willing to engage in dialogue and were receptive to our position. 

Impact of the National Leaders Collective

Joining the William Wilberforce Fellowship was essential to the success of Pioneers for Life, as it gave me much-needed support through fellowship phone calls and their mentorship program. Even when I didn’t feel like I deserved it, I was looked to and relied upon to lead this group effectively, and I could not have done it without the support and training I received from SFLA.  

LEARN MORE ABOUT LEADERSHIP PROGRAMS

Through this experience, I learned that as a leader, your members look to you to march into uncertain situations with confidence. When issues arise, they trust that you’ll have the answers, which is a level of pressure that can become difficult to manage. While it’s true that the best leader is one who serves, leaders are only human and get frustrated and disappointed. Being a part of the National Leaders Collective helped me to realize that being a leader is not just a title — it’s a lifestyle that requires constant growth. 

READ NEXT: STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: What Motivated William Wilberforce Fellow Marcelina Haas to be Actively Pro-Life