GUEST POST: Due to COVID-19 policy changes over the last two years, Students for Life of America (SFLA) groups have had to constantly pivot and work through last minute complications. Given the strange circumstances, some worried that students wouldn’t be motivated to fight abortion on their campuses. Luckily, we have good news: they were wrong. The Pro-Life Generation stepped up to the task—and wow, are they doing a great job.  

There has been no shortage of students around the country working towards the abolition of abortion. SFLA has had the privilege to work with these students, and our Field Operations team is currently helping over 150 students from 49 different states to get involved in the Pro-Life Movement. Of those students, 60 started new SFLA groups at their schools in the fall of 2021.  

Here are four particularly special groups we want to highlight:  

1. Students for Life at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida  

This group persevered through their Office of Student Engagement taking almost a year to approve them as an official group. Students for Life of America Mid-East Field Operations Coordinator Julia DeLuce worked with the students and the office to speed the process along in time for the group to run a table at their school’s recruitment fair. They quickly started hosting events on campus and took their free trainings very seriously. The group hosted the SFLA Fall See Me Now tour and have continued to be a pro-life presence on their campus.   

“Southeastern Students for Life is a prime example of planning effectively. Their leaders had a singular goal this year: to make sure the campus knew who they were and what in the world they were up to in their community. I am unbelievably proud of their organization and positivity. SEU SFLA shows other students what working closely with our staff can do to make your group fun and not overwhelming. They boast over 100 members.” -Julia DeLuce  

2. Heritage Students for Life in Kansas   

If there’s any group that knows how to best adapt to COVID policy changes, it’s Heritage Students for Life of America! The president of Heritage SFLA reached out to SFLA in June because she wanted to bring the pro-life message to her Christian high school in Kansas. She was worried about recruitment because her school had cancelled the annual club recruitment fair due to COVID-19. 

She texted her SFLA Field Operations Coordinator the news, and they came up with a new plan: her team would bring clipboards to school and ask people to sign up the old-fashioned way. Right away, she recruited a team of officers and an official advisor. In just under 2 months, Rebecca finished all the necessary requirements from her school to be an official SFLA group. Now, her group is thriving with more than 20 sign-ups—and she’s still counting!  

3. Eureka Students for Life, MO  

In the Spring of 2021, Kendall was a freshman at her public high school. She reached out to SFLA after she was inspired to start a pro-life group on her campus. However, she did have a problem: Kendall had only been learning remotely during her freshman year. Consequently, she felt that there was no way to recruit students to her club.   

Nevertheless, Kendall made it her mission to form meaningful relationships with her peers online so that she could not only form a community but also recruit students to her mission.   

After months of slowly recruiting officers, members, and an advisor, Kendall was finally ready to get the group recognized by the school. Now, Eureka Students for Life is full of vibrant leaders—and they are so excited to finally be back on campus.  

“My favorite part about starting a group has been meeting and becoming friends with other pro-life students. Everyone in our group is so passionate and fun, and, in a time when people are so divided, it’s encouraging to be in a fellowship with like-minded students to know you aren’t alone.” -Kendall, President of Eureka Students for Life  

4. BYU Students for Life, UT  

For a while, Brigham Young University (BYU) didn’t have a Students for Life of America group—but that all changed in the Fall Semester of 2021. The school went from zero to hero—quickly growing and becoming an official group registered with their school. Now, BYU Students for Life have big plans such as inviting senator Mitt Romney to speak about how he became pro-life, hosting a debate between pro-lifers and pro-abortion supporters, and inviting Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life, to speak to the whole school (you have good taste, BYU!).  

“Previously, I was the Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator and I covered OR, ID, MT, and UT. I always wanted to start a Students for Life group at the Brigham Young University (BYU) campus in Salt Lake City, but I could never find a student leader. This year was my first year in my Field Operations position and I was able to meet a student at BYU that had reached out to us. She was on fire for the pro-life movement and couldn’t wait to get started. We soon met another student that was also wanting to start the group!” -Nichole Bentz, West Coast Field Operations Coordinator  

Are you ready to start a Students for Life of America group at your school? (The correct answer is YES.) To get started, contact [email protected] or visit www.StudentsforLifeHQ.com/start for more information. Join our life-saving movement—you won’t regret it!