Madison Walls is a Christian Leadership Fellow with Students for Life of America’s National Leaders Collective (NLC) with a heart for students navigating parenthood and college simultaneously. Continue reading below to get a glimpse into her hard work as the president of the pro-life group on her college campus:  

As the president of Oklahoma Baptist University’s pro-life group, ZOH, which is Greek for “life,” I felt a tremendous responsibility to serve our campus’s pregnant and parenting community.  

Just like it’s better not to parent alone, I knew I couldn’t support this college pregnant and parenting community alone. I not only needed campus partners, but wisdom from those who have walked through parenting. First, I started by partnering with another campus group to host a parenting panel in the spring of 2024. The panel consisted of four professors, two of whom brought their spouses and the director of their local Pregnancy Care Center. Once I had partnerships, ZOH was ready to tailor this event to open a door of communication between students and their elders on how to approach parenting in today’s culture.  

Our goal was to converse on a wide range of topics, such as abortion, adoption, and parenting trends, and offer guidance to peers preparing to enter parenthood. Our group also provided an information table for students who desire to be involved in the pro-life movement or learn more about their local Pregnancy Care Center.  

EXPLORE STUDENTS FOR LIFE OF AMERICA’S FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS

The turnout for the event, excluding group members and panelists, was 35-40 people, most of whom were women. As numerous other events that night competed for the campus’ attention, the turnout was what the group hoped for. The crowd was well-engaged throughout the panel as panelists fielded questions from me and offered stories from their experiences.

The crowd responded with good enthusiasm and appropriate silence as the discussion varied. They laughed when one panelist critiqued modern parenting techniques and was calm and focused when another shared their personal experience with abortion. Overall, the event and the information were well received. It also brought unity between group members as we organized the event, created questions, and discussed what we learned afterward. Our team took pride in knowing they were advocating for the pre-born through spreading awareness.  

I am happy to credit a great deal of the event’s success to what I have learned through my experience in SFLA’s Christian Leadership Fellowship. I have found comfort, guidance, and support from the other fellows through our bi-weekly meetings. They were always encouraging, provided solutions when challenges arose, and offered kind words on social media when my group hosted different events throughout the year.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP COLLECTIVE

After this experience, I want to continue working in the pro-life movement by being the president of ZOH during the 2024-2025 school year. I plan to continue using my newly gained tools through my fellowship to educate my campus, serve my community, and advocate for the pre-born in everything I do. My plans for next year include volunteer work at the local Pregnancy Care Center, on-campus tabling to engage with the student body and continuing to fundraise for local pro-life ministries.  

READ NEXT: STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: Thaddeus Stevens Fellow Diego Salinas and the Creation of Wildcats for Life