During the Covid pandemic, I was a high school student doing on-line learning while separated from all of my friends, activities and the “normal” high school experience. It was an extremely difficult time for me and I began to feel anxious and depressed. No, that is not exactly right as these were not just feelings, but they permeated my body and mind nonstop. I no longer felt joy or contentment and it took excessive effort to even get out of bed. I would read pages of a book and have no idea what I read. I would doom scroll on my phone but still feel lonely and bored. I simply did not feel right and there was little I could do about it. I could not just “snap out of it” and weekly online therapy did not seem like enough. I was coasting into a dark place and was unable to stop it from happening. It turned out I was one of the hundreds of thousands of teens diagnosed with acute anxiety and major depressive disorder. My therapist referred me to a psychiatrist for evaluation. His evaluation concluded with a recommendation for antidepressants. For some people, that would be the start of a story of how they found treatment and overcame their struggle with mental illness, but for me, it was the start of a very long, very painful chapter in my life and the greatest challenge I have faced. Medications were trial and error with multiple new side effects that made me physically ill. Then came mood swings, difficulty controlling my impulses and emotions, suicidal ideations, and anger. I could not manage relationships because they were primarily virtual, so all sense of normalcy was gone. As the pandemic raged on, I just felt empty and alone. By the late 2020, I was in need for more intensive care and diagnosed with BPD – Borderline Personality Disorder. I remember the first time I heard the words and I struggled to understand them. Did this mean I was on the border of sanity? Did it mean I had no personality or that my personality was not good enough? What is BPD? And more importantly, how do I get rid of it and just go back to normal? Thankfully, no, I am not on the border of sanity. But I did have symptoms of the disease. Because of the nature of BPD, I am not sure I can say I have overcome this challenge because I will always have some of the symptoms, but I have lessened its impact on my life. I have been learning about mental health and practicing DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy). I have been working with my parents and an excellent care team. I was able to find the right medication, learn behavior modification techniques, and discover the importance of boundaries. I know this experience of enduring BPD has made me a different person. I am gentler to those around me now because I know everyone is struggling with something and some of them just might be dealing with the pain of undiagnosed mental illness. My journey has opened my eyes to the struggles of others and the need to continue to study new treatment options for mental illnesses. I know now that mental health is part of overall health and that it is ok to talk about and seek help and will keep sharing that message. My dream is that my generation will be the one to break the stigma about mental health.

President Ronald Reagan once said, “America is too great for small dreams.” The mere idea of an American dream is enough for people to leave their homes, families, belongings - everything - in its pursuit. That’s why I choose to have an enormous dream – that all human life will be valued, protected and cherished. It is why I am in college to lay the foundation to make that dream reality. As a Political Science major, I am learning how to work within the political and legal systems to create laws that defend the preborn, the disabled, and the elderly. Ultimately, my dream and fervent prayer is for a personhood amendment that protects all human life. I have been pro-life for my entire life. I’ve been marching for life since before I could walk. As a child, my mom and I were founding member of Northwest Families for Life. In high school, that organization presented me their "Just Like Joe" award in honor of the late Joe Scheidler and the work I do to carry on his legacy. I was a Crusader for Life from age 13-19, founded the pro-life club at my school, worked for Coalition Life as a sidewalk counselor in Carbondale, IL, and I am currently the VP of Life on Campus and President of our Turning Point USA chapter. Through these pro-life activities, I have seen both the enormous power of prayer and also how our duties as pro-lifers are lived. Of course, we have a duty to pray for babies and mothers, and we also have a civic duty to defend them. This means calling our politicians to educate them about policies and the impact of their votes on legislation and also asking them to represent us by voting for life. In addition, we have to get out to vote in all elections to be the voice for the voiceless and help ensure people of good will take office. I live my faith by trying to find ways to put it into action. By caring for others and trying to make a difference in the world. I strive to recognize those on the margins, and it is my faith that is directing my future career goals to be a champion for those who cannot defend themselves. I realize that political activism (in addition to my social activism) is a unique approach for such a young person to take to work to end abortion. Yet I must do my part to bring change and defend the preborn. I will always vote pro-life and will also work to help cultivate future leaders and politicians who will use the power of their offices to be the voice for the voiceless.

President Ronald Reagan once said, “America is too great for small dreams.” The mere idea of an American dream is enough for people to leave their homes, families, belongings - everything - in its pursuit. That’s why I choose to have an enormous dream – that all human life will be valued, protected and cherished. It is why I am in college to lay the foundation to make that dream reality. As a Political Science major, I am learning to work within the political and legal systems to create laws that defend the preborn. Ultimately, my dream is a personhood amendment that protects life in the womb. I have been pro-life for my entire life. As a child, my mom and I were founding member of Northwest Families for Life. In high school, that organization presented me their "Just Like Joe" award in honor of the late Joe Scheidler and the work I do to carry on his legacy. I was a Crusader for Life from ages 13-19, founded the pro-life club at my Catholic school, worked for Coalition Life as a sidewalk counselor in Carbondale, IL, and I am currently the VP of Life on Campus at my university and President of our Turning Point USA chapter. Through these activities, I have seen how our duties as pro-lifers are lived. We have to defend mothers and babies. This might mean calling our legislators to educate them and asking them to defend life. And it necessitates voting for life in elections. I realize that political activism (in addition to my social activism) is a unique approach for such a young person to take to work to end abortion in America. Yet I must do my part to bring change and defend the preborn and their mothers. I will always vote pro-life and will also work to help cultivate future leaders and politicians who will use the power of their offices to be the voice for the voiceless and create policies that promote life and defend children. My prolife argument is that life begins at fertilization and ends at natural death. This position has been shaped by my prolife experiences and solidified by the research of my friend, Dr. Steve Jacobs. Dr. Jacobs wrote a thesis called The Scientific Consensus on When a Human’s Life Begins. In his research, he found that 5,337 biologists representing over 1000 academic institutions across the globe support the view that life begins at fertilization. That was 96% of all biologists in his study (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36629778/). What is interesting is that Dr. Jacobs found the majority of responding biologists were men who were non-religious and tended to be liberal and pro-choice. This helps us use his work on college campuses because it removes religious and political bias about the topic to discuss the science of protecting human life in the womb. As Dr. Jacobs wrote, “This paper . . . necessitates the position ‘a fetus ought to be considered a person worthy of legal consideration’ (https://www.bioeticaweb.com/wp-content/uploads/SSRN-id3211703.pdf). I agree and I pledge to spend my life helping to make it so.

Phew! Some days, that's all I have left! My days are a bustle of going to classes, working my on-campus job, going off to volunteer at a nursing home, attending meetings and activities for various clubs, doing homework, working out in the gym, and meeting up with friends for meals while ensuring I still fit in some "me time" to decompress and practice self-care. I need to have that time for myself because I work hard to keep my mental health in balance. Mental health is more important than ever. People are extremely busy and there are so many distractions vying for attention. Since covid, far too many of my peers have struggled with mental health issues just like I do. Our smartphones have made us people who are addicted to FOMO -- the fear of missing out. Many young women in my age group do not know how to say "no" because of the lingering concern that something great might be happening and we do not want to miss it. This attitude has caused so much depression and anxiety for people. For me, the overuse of my smartphone caused me to be diagnosed with a mental health condition where I am extremely sensitive to the emotions of others, and I do what I can to fit in by being like a chameleon and changing to fit my circumstances. So I have been working diligently on self-actualization and finding the real me and I do not want to lose the momentum and growth I have worked hard to attain. How do I make my mental health a priority? I carry a planner so I can prioritize and fit in all of the things I want to do in a given day. That includes scheduling time for my weekly appointment with my therapist and arranging daily workouts to let off steam and maintain good physical health. The workouts release endorphins that help ease my depression and anxiety. My plan also includes setting a timer on my phone so I can take my medications at the same time each day. Thankfully, I enjoy academia - despite the inherent stress. I find my classes and professors to be engaging, and being able to think about the topics being studied takes me away from dwelling too much on anything that could get me down. Women do face unique challenges on college campuses and those obstacles are even more intense for those of us learning to navigate campus after a mental health diagnosis. But with good planning, a wise therapist, supportive family and friends, and a dedication to self-care, a college campus can be a great place to grow and thrive.

Want to change the world? Then change the law. It's a simple philosophy that society controls what people can do and how far people can advance by the governing law that is in place. When laws allow for discrimination, discrimination happens and most often, that means women lose. In countries around the world dominated by Sharia law, women have no rights and all of the aspects of their lives are directed and dictated by men. People often think things are so much better here in America, but even here, women are subjugated to oppression. While not nearly the same as being told what to wear, who to marry and where to live, women in the US are often not taken seriously or given the opportunities to succeed. An incredible example of this discrimination is in women's athletics. When men are not good enough to win against other men, they unfairly compete against women in high school and college sports and take titles, trophies, and scholarships from the women who deserve them. Women have told of frightening encounters with biological males in the locker rooms and women's restrooms. Women are intimidated - and rightly so - to be told to undress next to or in the presence of a man. It is degrading to women and women risk being assaulted. Then on the playing field, men, whose bodies are made differently, have the advantage of height, strength, stamina, and body mass and break women's records over and over in many different fields. It is so blatantly unfair and yet no one is stopping men from dominating women's sports. I will. As an attorney, I will work to stop discriminatory practices against women. As the daughter of a woman who had to argue Title IX to get a women's soccer team at her college, I know that Title IX was instituted to help women gain fair access to opportunities in sports. This included the women having equal use of the playing fields and weight room as well as having coaching and training staff who were equally skilled compared to those who ran the men's program. My mother is shocked that men have reversed the intent of the law and claim Title IX so they can be part of women's teams. As a varsity field hockey player, I had to compete against teams that had the unfair advantage of fielding biological men who were much stronger than us. One such man who was at least 10" taller than me and weighed about 75 pounds more body-slammed into me on the field and knocked me to the ground. In what other context would it be acceptable for a man to shove a woman to the ground? This needs to end. I plan to use my education to help women retain their rights. I plan to use my knowledge and ability to defend women from harassment on the field, in the classroom and in the workplace. America's young women need laws that protect their right to fair play against other actual women and compensation for when those rights are usurped by men. I will be their voice.

I have been prolife for as long as I can remember. It is important to be a voice for the voiceless because we are all created in the image of God and given immeasurable worth and dignity from God at the moment of conception. Life matters. Because of my faith, I know that each child created is unique and absolutely unrepeatable. I live my faith and prolife commitment in many ways. As a child, my mom and I were founding members of Northwest Families for Life which is a group in suburban Chicago that peacefully prays outside of abortion clinics and offers information about pregnancy care centers to abortion-minded women. In high school, I started the Prolife Club at my school and was also a member of the Crusaders for Life through my church. Through the Crusaders, I was able to march for life in Washington DC, Chicago and St. Louis. As a teen, I worked for 2 years at a facility that provided care to developmentally disabled women. During covid when other staff were quitting, I chose to live at the facility to provide extra help while taking my classes remotely. In my first year of college, I worked for Coalition Life as a sidewalk counselor and saw firsthand how I was able to save the lives of three precious children by offering compassion, support, and resources to frightened moms. Now while at another university, I work for the Center for Students with Disabilities to help my peers who need alternative media to be able to learn and I also volunteer to lead activities with the residents at a local nursing home. It's just what I do to protect, help, and support the most vulnerable because I believe all of these people are precious to God and deserving of my time. I am studying political science. I believe God is calling me to go on to law school, practice law, and enter politics so I can enact laws that protect and defend life. In my home state of Illinois, the pro-abortion, pro-death laws are outrageous. The only "choice" is for children to be slaughtered for free but there is nothing for mothers who choose life in terms of state-funded prenatal or post-natal care. On the other end of the spectrum, our legislature is considering allowing assisted suicide for the terminally ill, the elderly, and the disabled. The utter disregard for life is sickening. I will work to change that. I pray the legacy of sweet Natalie Joy Poremski will live on in me and other prolifers whose lives reflect that every life is precious.

As I was growing up, my mom would often say, "History repeats itself." As a child, I foolishly thought she meant us and that our family would repeat the same actions. And while that might be true to some extent regarding my family, I now think the meaning of the phase has worldwide implications. As human beings, we all have a propensity to enormous good and at the exact same time, our humanness often comes with some degree of impulsivity, greed, and a desire for power and fame. It's this mix of the good and bad in human nature that gives rise to patterns of behavior as we continue to create history as a species. War, famine, and genocide are not new. History shows us over and over the same patterns. But what if the time is now for a change? What if my generation is being called to be the disruptors? By studying history, cultures and cultural anthropology, political science and languages, I am being equipped to make a difference by calling for a change in the paradigm. I plan to finish a bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in Spanish language and culture. Then, I will attend law school. My long-term plan is to practice law but move into politics so that I can have a voice in suggesting changes that benefit all people and not just those of a specific political party, nationality or group. I suppose that sounds like a campaign promise. Yet the truth is that human beings around the globe are essentially the same with the same needs and many of the same dreams for peace and prosperity. I hope to be in a role to help opposing sides of global conflicts see that reality and work toward solutions that do not involve decimating countries. In one of my classes, we are reading works from Plato, Aristotle, and other philosophers who still have a tremendous influence on society today. From Plato, we learn that it is essential to find the balance between what is important to us vs what is important for us. From Aristotle, we gain insight into eudaimonia or human flourishing as the purpose of life. By re-examining and adopting these philosophies as individuals, we can implement and live them as societies and nations. When individuals are able to realize their highest potential and live purposely, then larger communities of people can develop the rational, intellectual, emotional, and ethical dimensions of humanness in harmony. This great flourishing of humanity can happen again as it has before most notably during the Renaissance. So who am I? I am a disruptor. I will be someone who will use my education to change the world by breaking cycles of repeating history to help humanity avoid going down paths that lead to disaster. My name is Grace Walker-Ross. I hope to negotiate change across the world and be an arbitrator for common sense and peaceful solutions to global conflicts.