Elsa Johansson, one of the National Leaders Collective’s leaders of the month, is a Students for Life of America Christian Leadership Fellow attending Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, MN. Learn more about Johansson’s activism below.

I grew up in a Christian, pro-life home, though I’ll admit that when I was younger, I took that background for granted. To me, the belief that every baby deserves the chance to live was simply a given. When I started college, I unexpectedly found myself stepping into leadership as president of my school’s struggling pro-life group. At the time, only a handful of us were determined to keep it going, so I took it on as both a challenge and an opportunity.  

Over time, I worked to grow the group, organize events, and eventually connected with the Midwest regional coordinator for Students for Life of America. Before attending my first Wisconsin March for Life, I would’ve said I was passionate about the cause, but I didn’t have a personal “why” that anchored my conviction. That changed at the march. I stood among hundreds of others, holding a “Pro-Life Generation” sign, listening to doctors and politicians speak with authority and compassion. Then the final speaker walked up. A mom. She told us her story of a hurried marriage because of a pregnancy and then a forced abortion. Her husband was abusive, but she stayed because she didn’t know how to leave. She was under an enormous burden of guilt. One day, a coworker approached her and asked if she had kids. She broke. She spilled her burden of guilt out to this almost complete stranger. That stranger just happened to also be a sidewalk advocate. Only by the will of God and the help from her coworker did she begin to find healing, faith, and freedom. Today, she works at a pregnancy resource center, helping others through similar pain. She finished speaking, and I started to cry. Afterward, I found her and asked, “How can I learn to help women like you?” She smiled and said, “You already are by showing up and being an authentic, caring Christian woman who listens. Be a light in this dark world, because that’s what women like me truly need.” That moment transformed my perspective. Since then, I’ve been fully committed to advancing the pro-life movement with compassion, conviction, and hope for every life. 

I did some volunteer work for a local PRC before becoming an SFLA fellow, but since I started the fellowship, I have become much more active with my local PRC and in tabling and doing events with my group. 

This month, my group got officially recognized as a school student group after months of waiting after submitting our application. We also hosted a tabling event where my group members and I had over 20 productive conversations with students and faculty of the college and got 3 new people added to our email list. Finally, we held a screen printing event that 23 people attended to make custom pro-life merch designed by a graphic design/studio art alum of my school. 

The Christian leaders’ fellowship has allowed me to have academic, yet empathetic, conversations with my fellow Christian leaders about how best to face the sinful world we live in and bring the Gospel truth to those who surround us.