By Megan Strobel, St. Louis University Students for Life
As the Chair of Saint Louis University’s Students for Life subcommittee “Pregnant and Parenting Student Assistance” (PPSA), I have the privilege of heading our group’s supportive services efforts. One of the aspects of my job is to be on the dispersal committee for an endowment SLU has provided that allots scholarships to pregnant and parenting students in need of financial assistance—an honor to say the least. I’ve had this job for two years now, and we have always had a modest number of applicants, with our most recent dispersal being 9 applicants. Remember that number 9 for later…
PPSA’s faculty mentor, Donna Bess Myers (who also happens to be the Dean of Students - talk about perfect person for the job!) loved that we were able to reach the students we did. But we were curious if by advertising this scholarship more, we could reach even more students who could use this financial assistance to be the amazing parents AND students they are. We reached out to some people in Student Financial Services and they were able to advertise our scholarship on what’s called the Scholarship Suite, an online portal where every SLU student has access to all the scholarships they are eligible for.
Flash forward to this semester… We got word that the application had closed and that we were ready to begin the decision process for the scholarship. I got a notification that I had EIGHTEEN applications to review. “Wow!” I thought. “Eighteen applicants! That’s double from last semester!” Donna and I were scheduled to meet that afternoon for our biweekly PPSA meeting, and I remember sitting in her office just ecstatic that we had reached another 9 parents who had a shot of getting some scholarship money. Donna started laughing and said, “Yeah about that.. That notification you got that says you’re reviewing 18 applicants is actually a different 18 people than the rest of the committee… There are actually 67 applicants.”
What?! 67 people…. That’s close to 100 of my peers who are going to college WHILE ALSO raising their kids who need our help. 67 stories of hard work, sacrifice, and bravery to choose life and love while also following their dreams of a college education. Donna and I were hoping that we could reach at least a few more people to apply for our humble scholarship, but this exceeded expectations.
Moral of the story: pregnant and parenting students are freaking superheroes. Like, I’m proud of myself if I make my bed in the morning. If you know a parent in school, tell them how amazing they are. I can’t imagine how good that would make them feel.
Second moral of the story: Help your superstar pregnant and parenting peers! There are people around us all the time who need support and TRUTH. Does your school have a scholarship? If yes, raise money for it! If not, find all the resources you can in your area and reach out to your student assistance offices to give them this info. Table on campus to show off the places in your area whose literal job is to help people in these situations.
***Hint: they don’t start with P and end with lanned Parenthood***.
Like me, I’m sure you had no idea that there are so many people on your campus who could use your knowledge and resources. So reach them before they even have to reach you! As I’ve said about 10 times: these people rock, and it’s amazing to be able to support them.
Press Statements and Media Coverage
Media contact:
Kristi Hamrick, Media Strategist: khamrick@studentsforlife.org
Matt Lamb, Director of Communications: mlamb@studentsforlife.org
Phone Number: (540)834-4600
Media Statements and Coverage
2018
December:
Statement on Renewed Abortion Drugs Legislation
Statement On Victory At University of Idaho
November:
Statement On Planned Parenthood’s Legislative Agenda
Kristan Hawkins’ Op-Ed on Isabella Chow
Kristan Hawkins’ Op-Ed on Feminism and the Handmaid’s Tale
Students for Life Lists Out Five Ways Trump Can Defund Planned Parenthood
Pro-Life Gen Sees Hope in 2018 Results
October:
Statement On Epidemic of Vandalism
SFLA Denounces Vandalism at SMU
Kristan Hawkins’ Op-Ed on Media Coverage of March for Life
Statement On Planned Parenthood Banning SFLA at Ohio State
Kristan Hawkins’ Op-Ed on Lies Pro-Choice Politicians Tell
Statement On String Of Vandalism
Statement on Kavanaugh Confirmation
Kristan Hawkins’ Op-Ed on Kavanaugh and #MeToo
September:
Statement on HHS Ending Fetal Tissue Contract
Kristan Hawkins’ Op-Ed on Leana Wen
Kristan Hawkins’ Op-Ed on Kavanaugh
Reaction to MO 8th Circuit Win
Statement On New Planned Parenthood President
Kristan Hawkins’: Governor Brown Should Veto SB320 Op-Ed
August:
Statement on Passage of Dangerous SB 320
SFLA To Counter Pro-Abortion Rallies
Kristan Hawkins’ Family Leave Op-Ed
Statement On Expectant Mother Parking Permits Victory
Statement on FDA Buying Aborted Fetal Tissue
Students for Life Condemns Theft at #Justice4Life Tour
July:
Tomi Lahren Op-Ed on Roe v. Wade
Students for Life Launching SCOTUS Van Tour
Statement on SCOTUS Nominee Kavanaugh
Kristan Hawkins’ Op-Ed on ACLU
June:
Statement on Kennedy Retirement
Vandalism at Western Washington
Kristan Hawkins Op-Ed on Birth Control
Kristan Hawkins’ Op-Ed in National Review
Statement on SCOTUS Decision In Azar v. Garza.
May:
Statement on Arkansas Abortion Drug Decision
WSJ Op-Ed: Kristan Hawkins on Free-Speech
Students for Life Praises New Title X Proposal
Students for Life Supports New ORR Rules
Planned Parenthood Greed on Display
SFLA Joins Calls to Restore Pro-Life Title X Regulations
April:
Op-Ed on Socialized Medicine and the Pro-Life Movement
University of New Mexico’s Arbitrary Free-Speech Rules
Second ‘Toilet Rally’ to be Held in California
Response to New Poll on Abortion
Kristan Hawkins’ Op-Ed on Pope Francis’ Exhortation
The College of New Jersey Vandalism Statement
Fresno State Vandalism Statement
Thank You To Pro-Life Walkout Participants
Kristan Hawkins’ Op-Ed on Plan B
Media Advisory on Cecile Richards Book Tour
March:
SFLA Pledges Support For Pro-Life Walkout
William McGurn Full Speech and Video From Gala
Reaction to ‘Abortion Safety Study’
Media Advisory: NIFLA v. Becerra
Kristan Hawkins’ Op-Ed in Response to WaPo Op-Ed
Free Speech Victory at Miami University-Hamilton
Wall Street Journal’s Bill McGurn to Speak at SFLA Gala
Statement Supporting Defunding Planned Parenthood
Townhall Op-Ed: ACLU Wants to Party Like It’s 1973
Statement on Margaret Sanger Poster Removal
Statement on West Virginia Ballot Initiative
Announcing 5-State Targeted Efforts to Defund Planned Parenthood
February:
Reaction to Racist Roots of Planned Parenthood Event
Media Coverage of Vandalization at Lewis Central High School
Statement on Death of Billy Graham
Statement on Vandalization at Bellarmine University
Kristan Hawkins’ Op-Ed on SB 320
January
Kristan Hawkins interview on National Public Radio
Statement on Cecile Richards’ Resignation
Statement on Twenty-Week Abortion Ban
Anna Arend, Northern California Regional Coordinator, SB 320 Testimony