Ava Henley, one of the National Leaders Collective’s leaders of the month, is a Thaddeus Stevens Fellow attending St. Catherine of Siena Academy in Michigan. Learn more about Henley’s activism below. 

Abortion is the most significant human atrocity of our day and the fundamental reason why I’m involved in the pro-life movement. The preborn are voiceless in this society, and the pro-life movement stands up for them, as well as the woman coerced into an abortion and the dad who begged his girlfriend or wife not to have an abortion. 

I have grown so much as a leader since my fellowship involvement. After being encouraged to apply by my group’s president last year, I finally took the plunge, and I’m so glad I did.  From hearing stories from my fellow Thaddeus Stevens fellows on how they run their groups and success stories from them to being given so many tips and advice on how to be a good leader within the movement, it’s equipped me as a leader in the movement and to run the group this 2024-2025 school year.  

 
As a fellow, I had ambitious goals for my pro-life activism that I watched come to life. Our group’s regional coordinator taught apologetics to 30 people in our group. I started a scholarship fund at my school, where we raised over $100 to give to someone to offset the costs of traveling to Washington, D.C., for the National Pro-life March. I participated in my first SFLAction door-knocking deployment this month, where, as a group, we knocked on over 500 doors to educate voters on who the pro-life candidates are.  

Although still early in the school year, the Thaddeus Stevens Fellowship has profoundly impacted how I run my group and how I lead within the pro-life movement. 

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