This article was written by Cristina Flores.

My name is Cristina Flores, and I am graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) this coming May 2025. My journey through college hasn’t been the easiest, but it’s certainly been full of joys and opportunity. 

Having started my college education in 2020, amidst the COVID lockdowns, I initially felt isolated from the college experience I so looked forward to in my high school days. So, I decided to join the Students for Life of America group at my university: Students for Life at UTEP. My older sister was already an officer and invited me to join the organization.  

The first event I attended as a member was a prayer vigil held outside a recently closed abortion facility in our hometown of El Paso, Texas. We not only celebrated the closing of the facility but also mourned and honored the lives lost within those walls.  

Seeing how my Students for Life of America group rallied the community and organized such a beautiful event moved me, and I knew I had found my people! 

Soon after, I became the group’s Secretary and helped organize many meetings on campus. Later, I led as President of the group for an academic year–a wonderful experience. 

I accomplished a lot during my time with SFLA at UTEP; there are so many memories and highlights I could mention! Here are just a few of the things I did during my 4 years with the organization: 

I joined SFLA’s William Wilberforce Fellowship and visited Washington, D.C., where I met hundreds of fellow pro-lifers my age. Through this fellowship, I learned how to be a leader, and I built a network of pro-life friends who have supported me through many hardships, not just in leading in the pro-life movement, but also through life. 

Working together with my fellow officers, I was able to bring an ultrasound bus to our campus and offer life-affirming resources to the students there. 

Thanks to SFLA’s leadership training, I was able to testify against a pro-abortion proposal at my City Council and managed to avoid having an “abortion sanctuary” law passed in my city.  

One of my favorite events was a baby shower our group organized in collaboration with a local pregnancy resource center in El Paso. The mom we helped was a student, and she was so grateful for the surprise! It was one of the most moving experiences in my life, and I’ll never forget it. 

I also volunteered for Students for Life Action (SFLAction), door knocking in Tucson, Arizona and informing voters on how to vote pro-life! 

Last, but certainly not least, I had the amazing opportunity to attend the National Pro-Life March in 2025 with my fellow officers. It was a dream come true. But the dream didn’t end there… 

I was also honored to be chosen as a speaker for SFLA’s National Pro-Life Summit (NPLS) 2025! I got to speak about the Latino community’s involvement in the pro-life movement during the “Pro-Life Innovation Workshop.” 

While at the NPLS, I attended the pro-life job fair and found my pro-life job! I applied and was hired to work for Coalition Life as their Marketing Copywriter. Coalition Life is the nation’s largest sidewalk counseling organization, and they help counsel women in several states. 

I am so blessed to be able to continue the mission of helping vulnerable women turn away from abortion and save the lives of their preborn children. It is literally a dream come true, being able to use my gift of writing for the cause for Life and to help spread the pro-life message! 

My advice to any student considering joining SFLA would be ABSOLUTELY DO IT! 

Although it won’t be an easy path, it will be one that you WILL NEVER regret! Being involved with SFLA has done nothing but open opportunities and lifelong friendships to me. Knowing I have friends who share my beliefs and support me in my hard times has been so fulfilling and life-giving. And there’s no reward or joy bigger than sharing the mission of saving the lives of the most vulnerable, alongside your friends.