As the 2023-2024 academic year ends, Students for Life of America (SFLA) will be awarding groups with Best New Group, Best High School Group, Best College Group, and Best Standing With You Group distinctions – and you get to help us choose which groups deserve these awards. Cleveland Students for Life in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, is nominated for Best High School Group of the Year. Learn more about this group below and decide whether they’ll receive your vote: 

Cleveland Students for Life demonstrated resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. When the group first started, their first tabling event was immensely successful and even changed the minds of some students. However, the school administration received angry feedback from some parents and students, and as a result, clubs are no longer allowed to chalk on campus, and they aren’t allowed to table, except at the Club Fair at the beginning of the school year.

The group has also had many fundraisers denied and when they asked if they could fundraise at their churches instead, they were told they could not overwhelm the community with additional requests. Despite this constant pushback from the administration, these high school students are unwavering in their mission to cultivate a pro-life culture within their school and community.  

Through recruitment and fetal development training, the group equips its members with the knowledge and tools to advocate for the sanctity of life effectively. Additionally, their creative initiatives, such as Valentine’s Day grams, serve as fundraisers and opportunities to raise awareness and provide tangible support to their local Pregnancy Care Center. 

Despite limitations imposed by the administration, Cleveland Students for Life has grown into a solid and dedicated group, with upwards of 25 students split between two lunch periods. Moving forward, they aspire to expand their reach by recruiting more students and collaborating with other schools and organizations to amplify their impact and change hearts and minds on the issue of life.