Pro-Life Advocates Scholarship

Growing up in a traditional Catholic family household, you would think we knew all LIFE's moral codes. In truth, we didn’t even know what the basics of abortion were until years later. As I grew older into adulthood, my experiences with the pro-life foundation became even more clear: our mortality is under attack by the underground-driven forces that disguise themselves as “healthcare.” As someone who has a learning disability and was diagnosed with autism at the age of 5, it is alarming to see how little value parents see their unborn child with a disability as an “insult” rather than a gift. 60% of children with Down syndrome end up being aborted without even having a chance to thrive right beside us. I grew up with these kids in my early years of school, I cannot imagine these children to just one day disappear from the face of the Earth. Them being a “target” to being terminated in our society is just the same as any eugenics practice in the past. Any disability noticed OR unnoticed should not label us as a burden or a byproduct. The same can be said for the elderly and the sick, who feel that they have no other choice but to end their life because of their sufferings. EVERY PERSON on this Earth has, is, and will suffer. There is no way out of it and that is a part of our existence. It is also disheartening to see that some countries even provide assisted suicide to those with mental illnesses, basically telling them that they are better off dead if they felt like they were. This just turns a blind eye to those that have suffered major depression and illness and are living life to the fullest despite their given circumstances. Over the recent years, I’ve participated in the ‘40 Days for Life’ campaign from my parish, I help raise awareness of our generation being aborted. Me and my group has done peaceful prayers outside of the abortion center and provided fliers for those women who are struggling with their pregnancy, many of which have been successful! Despite the few offenses and shouts from cars passing by, it has helped me learn to be persevere and hopeful. I know we are in the Lord’s care especially where prayer can have such an impact on one broken individual. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade last June, the impact it made to save 10s of thousands of babies is just the beginning. I know our work is not yet done and that there is so much yet to do, especially in my home state of Florida. I will not watch to see my state becoming a haven for those who want to destroy life, but to be a sanctuary of hope in our community to help women in need, especially the unborn. Disability or not, we are all in likeness in the face of God, no one should ever be left out. I find it ironic that those in power want to care for the equality of humanity, yet we can't do the same for those who haven’t even taken their first breath. Abortion is the only medical procedure created to end a person’s life instead of saving it.

Life is a precious gift that is taken for granted much too often. It is the gift that keeps on giving, presenting those fortunate enough to possess it with many more blessings. The ability to listen to the ocean waves crash on the shore, to feel the burn of a flame from holding your hand too close for too long, and the cool sensation of dousing that hand in iced water immediately after are all things that make life worth living. Every moment of life, good or bad, carries a value that cannot be stripped away. And every life has inherent dignity that calls for love and respect. It is time for the world to wake up to this. I grew up in a religious family of the Roman Catholic faith. My parents did a good job of ensuring that I, and my siblings, had a solid core of Catholic morals and values. My dad put me in the Catholic school system from K- to 12th grade, and that is where I picked up my pro-life ideals. I learned about the sanctity of life from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. I learned that all life had value, no matter how big or small the person was. And I learned that we must protect the most vulnerable beings in our world. Having an educational background in STEM worked only to reinforce my beliefs regarding life. The science presented undeniable proof that life was in fact real beginning at the moment of conception. The argument that a baby in their first days is just a clump of cells became more and more nonsensical. If someone can admit that a baby is a clump of cells, then they should also know from basic biology that a cell is the basic unit of life. This among other things solidified my views and strengthened my passion to get justice for the unborn. It also helped that I surrounded myself with friends who value life just as much as I do. Together, we would go out to pray rosaries for the unborn and join marches protesting abortion laws. In high school, we began a pro-life club which brought even more students to some of those marches. We stepped up even more in the years following high school when our community was threatened by an abortion clinic that opened up just across the street from the school. We protested against them and prayed rosaries outside for the repose of the souls of the aborted children. Still, the clinic remains and we keep fighting. My pro-life advocacy continued in college, where I served as student body president and prevented Planned Parenthood from being invited to indoctrinate students at a campus event. I am thankful to have been brought up with such morals that my respect for life stems from. I try to share my ideas with as many people as possible in hopes that they change the minds of other pro-abortion people they know too. It takes an army to make a change, but it only takes one to start.

I was always taught the sanctity of life by my parents. Life begins with conception and ends with natural death, there is no doubt. However, I am also taught by mainstream media that I can't be a feminist and be pro-life at the same time. As I have gone deeper into my beliefs and deeper into my education as a pro-life advocate, I came to realize that I can be an advocate for both with vigor and passion. As a woman in the 21st century, I have personally experienced how awfully society treats women. From being cat-called to being shamed into hating feminine traits that I found in myself, it is hard to own my femininity and be proud of who I am. In this way, feminism is important to me. Advocating for women's rights is essential to me. I am so proud to be a woman However, my beliefs about abortion contradict the modern feminist movement. Abortion is essential to their message and for a long time, I felt like an imposter in the feminist movement. I then started to think about why women are so amazing. They are, in that by just existing they are proof of God's beauty, love, and gentleness. They beautifully emulate the Father's creative nature. Women nurture life in their own womb and abortion is in direct contradiction to women's nature. It destroys and it kills. Abortion is marketed as a necessity to a woman's life, but I have seen it destroy women's lives. The Sisters of Life, women who devote their lives to help pregnant women in need, also help women who have had abortions. All these women severely regret their abortion and find it almost impossible to forgive themselves. Often, women don't know what they are doing when getting an abortion, but as soon as they realize it, the results are catastrophic. Imagine living with the realization that you killed your child? A study titled "Maternal Suicide in Italy" showed that women who had abortions were twice as likely to commit suicide compared to women who had given birth. These results are also found in Finland and the United States. It is clear that abortion destroys women. Education is extremely important to the pro-life movement. I have educated myself about the subject and I helped my high school become more well-versed in the pro-life movement. I joined a pro-life group when I entered high school and helped raised money to support pregnant women. Items like diapers, baby clothing, and food are essential for great organizations, like the Malta House, that help pregnant women in need. During my years of high school, I brought in pro-life speakers to help educate students on the movement and what they can do to help. I volunteered many hours for the Sisters of Life. Although I was given small tedious tasks, like cleaning their retreat house, I knew that my contribution helped them focus more on their mission rather than the endless small tasks that would eat up their time. Being a pro-life feminist is who I am. I have found that I can fight for the rights of the unborn and women at the same time. Abortion hurts women and supporting organizations that help and heal women is essential to help grow a culture of life.

I am from a small town in California and have always been there for many people in need. I have volunteered at my parish St. Anthony’s Catholic Church for about 8 years. Every year we partake in the walk for life and honor the lives of innocent babies that were killed due to abortion. Each cross represents the 36,000 babies that are killed everyday. We walk the streets of our town carrying white crosses about 40 inches tall. All the churches in town come together ranging from Catholics, Christians, Protestants, and Baptists. In total there’s about 1000 people that participate. When we arrive to the church after walking about 2 miles we hammer the crosses in the dirt alongside a common road every passerby will see. In total there’s about 2000 crosses nailed into the ground. I have also taken part in One Life LA and walked alongside many pro life advocates such as Lila Rose, Eduardo Verástegui, and hearing Fr. Frank Pavone speak. I am a pro life advocate because I have heard the tragic stories of abortion. I have held a women in my arms while I was praying a rosary outside of an abortion clinic located in San Bernardino near where I reside. She was fearful, and she said she had no other options because she was struggling as is with her one child. I assured her that she is safe and that our parish would help her. I have her options for help and assured her she would not be alone on this journey and that Christ was always with her. I gave her my rosary and she ended up walking away from the abortion clinic. In all the days I have sat our there just knowing I saved one baby’s life was enough for me and I will never forget that experience. My best friend recently had a baby and told me she remembers my talks about abortion and that I was the only reason why she kept her baby. I currently am a Certified Nurse Assistant. I work with people who are on there last days and I treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve. I am a firm believer that every life deserves a chance to live from womb till tomb. Recently, I was accepted into a nursing program. I am aspiring to earn my bachelors degree in nursing in hope to become an RN specializing in labor and delivery. My hope is to welcome life into this world as it should be. However, I also know there will be dark times where something may go wrong with mother or baby or even both. But, I know that Christ will grant me the grace and strength to overcome these trials. As Philippians 4:13 reads, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I look forward to furthering my education and pursuing the future my God has planned for me.