James Leriger, one of the National Leaders Collective‘s leaders of the month, is a Students for Life of America William Wilberforce Fellow attending Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. Learn more about Leriger’s activism below. 

I grew up in a Catholic family, so I’ve always been pro-life. However, I never really thought about activism within the pro-life movement until I came to college. During my freshman year, a friend invited me to a pro-life meeting. The following year, as the current president was graduating, I stepped up to take on the role of club president.

Soon after accepting the role, I got the news that my sister, who was recently married, was expecting and I was going to be an uncle! A few days later, a good friend of mine found out she was unexpectedly pregnant.

Over the next several months, I witnessed two very different experiences side by side. My sister was welcoming a child into a loving, secure family and receiving an abundance of support. Meanwhile, my friend was struggling financially and facing pressure from people around her to have an abortion. Despite this, she and her boyfriend agreed to keep the baby.

That November, my nephew was born. When I came home and met him, it was the first time in many years that I had held a newborn. As I held him, it truly hit me why I needed to fight for Life. The following month, my friend’s son was born. Meeting him had a similar impact on me — but in a different way. He was born into much more difficult circumstances, yet just like my nephew, he was completely deserving of life. Those two encounters reignited my passion to fight for the lives of all children. No matter the circumstances or the world a baby is born into, every child deserves a chance at life.

Over the last three years serving as president, I’ve faced a great deal of hardship. My school doesn’t have many students who are interested in joining the pro‑life movement, and many openly disagree with it. Even so, this experience has helped me grow. I’ve learned how to have more civil, respectful conversations with people who don’t share my views, which has been incredibly valuable.

I’m also a part of the Wilberforce Program. I applied after being nominated by my regional coordinator. At the time, I was struggling to discern what to do after graduation, and I felt this opportunity was a sign from God that I was being called to student activism.

This month alone, I had the opportunity to attend both the March at Indiana’s State Capitol and the National Pro-Life March as a representative of our student group. At both events, I met so many inspiring people and had an amazing experience. I truly hope I was able to contribute in a meaningful way and help strengthen support for the movement. I was also invited to a benefit dinner hosted by our local regional pro‑life organization. There, I helped secure stronger support for our local pregnancy center and even connected the center with one of our state’s senators for potential future support.

I want to see our local pregnancy center become more valued and supported in our community — and I’m committed to doing whatever I can to stand alongside them.