Jesse Castrinos, one of the National Leaders Collective’s (NLC) leaders of the month, is a Christian Leadership Fellow attending Patrick Henry College in Virginia. Learn more about Castrinos’s activism, in his own words, below.  

I believe all human beings are created in God’s image and entitled to the sacred Right to Life! My life was precious in God’s sight before I was born, and I want to support moms, babies, and families and encourage them to choose Life.  

Before I joined the NLC, I was the president of my Students for Life group. I started the group in the fall of 2023; I had no leadership experience in the pro-life movement and really struggled with how to lead it. I applied to the Christian Leadership Fellowship because I thought it would help equip me with the skills necessary to lead at a Christian College since the challenges Students for Life groups face on a Christian campus can vary from those at public universities.   

So far, we’ve been fruitful. 

This year, my group has:   

• Added over 30 new members 

• Trained 15 students in sidewalk advocacy 

• Wrote more than 300 Embrace Grace letters for our local Pregnancy Help Center (PHC), encouraging new moms to choose Life 

• Volunteered at our local PHC’s 35^th anniversary gala 

• Organized a panel discussion with several professors in front of our student body and community to discuss in-vitro fertilization from a pro-life perspective   

• Went lobbying on Capitol Hill to help defund Planned Parenthood 

• Rallied outside the Supreme Court during the oral arguments for Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic 

It is easy to feel alone, helpless, and lost when you are helping lead a group, especially when it’s pro-life, and many people are against you. But God does not call us to fight alone, and Students for Life of America provided me with community, guidance, and resources that enabled me to become a pro-life leader!  

Next year, I will serve as the Vice President of our group as well as being a part of the SFLAction State Captain Fellowship. After I graduate, I want to pursue a career in the pro-life movement by working to pass pro-life legislation at the state level. The Christian Leadership Fellowship has equipped me with invaluable skills and a supportive community, and I highly recommend it to students eager to make a difference. 

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