As a freshman studying visualization at Texas A&M University (A&M), I applied to Students for Life of America’s (SFLA) William Wilberforce Fellowship because of my passion for the pro-life movement. I was president of my high school pro-life group and took some of SFLA’s online classes during the pandemic. When I became more involved in the movement, I felt a sense of purpose unlike any other and wanted to continue my involvement during college.

When I heard about the National Leaders Collective, I immediately knew it was something I wanted to do, and applying was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Being a Fellow has been an incredible experience; it has allowed me to grow as an advocate and a leader.  

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I knew I wanted to do something for my fellowship project that showed others how the pro-life movement supports women and their children throughout pregnancy and beyond. Pro-Life Aggies, my pro-life group on campus, was able to raise $16,000 for a Pregnant and Parenting Student Scholarship this year through a Pro-Life 5K and a campaign called “Bring Back the Rivalry” in which we compete with a neighboring university to fundraise. While these efforts were incredible, I wanted to find another way to serve pregnant and parenting students on campus. 

I noticed that many A&M restrooms didn’t contain changing stations. Texas A&M has over seventy-five thousand students, so the need for changing tables is statistically inevitable, even before considering staff and visitors. As a result, I went around campus and took an inventory of different buildings with a high concentration of students, staff, or visitors to prioritize buildings with a higher need for changing tables. Ultimately, six of the twelve buildings I recorded were approved for changing table installation in the first floor’s men’s and women’s restrooms. 

I am currently finalizing the purchase of the tables, and I plan to have them installed within the next couple of weeks. It has been a long time coming, but I was blessed to have worked with wonderful people throughout the process. I met with the associate director of facilities when I learned that while the University does not keep records of their parenting students and staff, there was a recognized need to support parents on campus. After this confirmation, I could take inventory and begin moving forward with a way to fundraise. 

This was the next big challenge, as fundraising is difficult due to University fundraising policies. By the grace of God, however, my community proved to be so generous that I had very little need to fundraise outside of simply spreading the word about my project. I received an extremely generous donation from a Pro-Life Aggies member. “The Period Project,” an initiative that works to provide free feminine products in women’s restrooms on campus, has contributed significantly to my efforts. I raised $4,000 through this generous support to purchase the 12 tables needed. Additionally, the campus maintenance staff, responsible for installing the changing tables generously agreed to install the tables free of charge. 

The other Wilberforce Fellows significantly contributed to my positive experience throughout the year, both in the pro-life movement and college. Our biweekly meetings were always the highlight of my week. I loved hearing about their projects, giving and receiving feedback, engaging with guest speakers, and growing as a leader alongside my peers. Hearing about their struggles also made me grateful for the relatively smooth road I could walk to complete my project. My project helped me grow as a pro-life advocate, leader, and community member by showing me the generous hearts of those around me.  

I plan to continue working with Pro-Life Aggies and SFLA by participating in the Hildegard Art Fellowship during the 2024-2025 school year. As a visualization major, I am excited beyond expression to explore the artistic routes for activism in the pro-life movement! 

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