July 25, 2013

Stevens and Wilberforce Leadership Fellowships Launch

This past weekend, Students for Life of America launched the first Thaddeus Stevens Leadership Fellowship (for high schoolers) and the 4th William Wilberforce Leadership Fellowship (for college students) with a kick-off Leadership Training Retreat at SFLA national headquarters in Manassas, Virginia.

The students were able to all join together for the first time to meet, network, and get training on pro-life apologetics, leadership, and activism led by SFLA staff, Mike Spencer and Jay Watts of the Life Training Institute, blogger Jill Stanek, Jeanneane Maxon of Americans United for Life, and Seth Drayer of Created Equal.

Throughout the 2013-14 school year, the Fellows will be applying the leadership skills they learned on their campus and throughout their communities by organizing events, assisting Students for Life of America in its mission of equipping the pro-life generation, and working with their National Wilberforce Mentor (a leader of an existing national pro-life organization) who will help network them with the national pro-life movement and assist in completion on their Fellowship Projects.

SFLA’s prestigious Stevens and Wilberforce Leadership Fellowships aim to raise up the next generation of pro-life leaders. We want to train student pro-life activists to be leaders on campus (and beyond) and to network those student leaders with their counterparts in the national pro-life movement to help further develop their skills and prepare for a career in the pro-life movement.

Meet the 2013-14 Wilberforce Leadership Fellowship Class

Annaleigh Atiyeh, LaSalle University, 2015
Major: Religion/Secondary Education
Wilberforce Mentor: Brendan O’Morchoe, National Director of Field Operations, Students for Life of America

Cera McCarragher, Purdue University, 2015
Major: Business Management, Spanish Minor
Wilberforce Mentor: Joe Young, Executive Director, Operations & Strategic Initiatives, Heroic Media

Claire Chretien, University of Alabama, 2015
Major: BA in Communication-Public Relations and American Studies, minor in Creative Writing
Wilberforce Mentor: Troy Newman, President, Operation Rescue

Connor York, Oregon State University, 2016
Major: Political Science, Spanish, International
Wilberforce Mentor: Dan McConchie, Vice President of Government Affairs, Americans United for Life

Courtney McEachon, Yale University, 2015
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Wilberforce Mentor: Mary Catharine Maxian, M.D.

Deanna Candler, LSU School of Law, 2015
Juris Doctorate
Wilberforce Mentor: Jeanneane Maxon, Vice President of External Affairs & Corporate Counsel, Americans United for Life

Katie Worley, Washington University, 2016
Major: Economics and Strategy (Business)
Wilberforce Mentor: Mike Spencer, Midwest Director of Training, Life Training Institute

Lisa Atkins, Boise State University, 2014
Major: Health Science/Pre-PA, minor in French
Wilberforce Mentor: Rebekah Barnes, Northwest Regional Coordinator, Students for Life of America

Rachel Bush, University of Texas, 2014
Major: Journalism
Wilberforce Mentor: Jill Stanek, Blogger, Jillstanek.com

Rachel Eldridge
Indiana Wesleyan University
Strategic Communication and Leadership Studies
2015
Jeanne Monahan
President, National Pro-Life March Education and Defense Fund

Samantha Sweet, University of Alabama-Birmingham, 2014
Major: Exercise Science
Wilberforce Mentor: Kristan Hawkins, President, Students for Life of America

Zachary Hoopes, Virginia Tech, 2016
Major: Business Management, minor in Business Leadership
Wilberforce Mentor: Fr. Peter West, Vice President for Missions, Human Life International