Three students received a scholarship to help pay for their bus trip from Michigan to Washington, DC, for the 53rd annual March for Life. The theme for this year’s march is Life is a Gift; emphasizing what lies at the heart of the prolife movement — an unshakeable conviction that life is very good and worthy of protection, no matter the circumstances.
To receive a scholarship, students had to complete an application form and write a short essay on how they will use the March for Life experience in their daily life.
Ariadne Smith, a junior at West Catholic High School, expressed how her past participation in the March for Life has had a large influence on her. “Throughout my daily life, I often end up conversing with individuals who support abortion. The March for Life is a powerful reminder that we are not alone in the battle for the lives of the unborn and it has helped give me strength to continue this fight.”
Brady Kurlenda, a senior at West Catholic High School, reflected on how attending the March for Life will motivate him in local efforts. “Whether through church, volunteer work, or local advocacy, the March would encourage me to take a more active stance against abortion at home in Grand Rapids.”
Kateri Boutell, a freshman at Sacred Heart Academy, stated her intent to promote the idea that “motherhood is the most amazing gift that any woman can experience. I want to start a fire in our community with young individuals to help them understand more about the prolife movement and what a difference we can make together.”
Even with the wonderful blessing of Roe v. Wade being overturned, the necessary work to build a culture of life is not finished. Sadly, the number of abortions annually is still well over 900,000 each year. Many national legislative battles loom, including keeping longstanding Hyde protections, which limit government funding for abortion, in annual appropriation bills. The goal of the national March for Life is to change hearts and minds so that abortion is unthinkable.