August 13, 2021
This year has been a historic one for the pro-life movement. Activists nationwide have aided pro-life lawmakers in proposing and passing a record amount of pro-life legislation. Students for Life Action has been active in all 50 states, building student leaders and mobilizing on state legislative battles (including testifying, rallies, meeting with legislators, generating calls & texts to voters, and training students).
This month, we wanted to honor one student in particular who stands out: Anna Young. We asked her a few interview questions to share with supporters of Students For Life Action.
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I am a recent high school grad from Franklin, TN. I just graduated, and I’m now attending Concordia University Wisconsin this coming fall. I plan on doing my undergraduate studies in marketing and my masters in public administration in hopes of working in politics. I love working on campaigns and connecting with other passionate individuals across the country at conferences! I am LCMS Lutheran and my faith is a huge part of my life. I love to drink tea, have dance parties, and watch TV in my spare time.
What motivated you to become a leader in the pro-life movement?
I grew up going to pro-life conferences with my dad who is a pastor. I always was “pro-life.” However it wasn’t until I saw the pro-life film Gosnell in theaters that my passion for advocating for the unborn was sparked. I was absolutely stunned at the horrendous story, but even more stunned that incidents like this happen all across the country and in my very own neighborhood. I was overcome with emotion realizing that our world is so focused on “human rights,” yet neglects to advocate for every human to have the bare minimum: a chance at life. After watching the film, I started googling what I could do to help. I came across Students for Life and immediately sent an email to see what I could do to get involved.
Can you tell me more about your pro-life activism?
I founded Students for Life Franklin High School the beginning of my junior year. I had no one on board to help. I was terrified, to be honest. My school was a public school with about 2,000 kids, and I had no idea how people would respond. I set up a table and sign-up sheet at the club fair and was praying even just a few people would sign up. The response was amazing. Yes, we had haters of course (teachers and students). But I ended up having over 50 signups and some amazing conversations! I continued the club all throughout my junior and senior year and will hand off the club to the new leadership for this fall. We hosted speakers such as Melissa Ohden, collected over 2,000 dollars worth of baby items for our local PRC each year, signed so many petitions and so much more! I think the most important contribution Students for Life Franklin High made was merely opening up the conversation about abortion. So many high schoolers are only familiar with one narrative about abortion. They might not talk about life issues at home, and it certainly is not talked in the correct light at school, if at all. We had many students join our club as pro-choicers in protest and graduated as passionate pro-life activists.
What does your future hold?
First and foremost, I would LOVE to be a mom. I truly believe changing the culture starts from within the family. In terms of a career, I want to advocate for both the unborn and religious freedoms and protections. My dream career would be to be a public speaker, but I would also 100% consider running for office or working for a family policy organization in the future.
How has Students for Life Action helped you on your pro-life activism journey?
Students for Life Action has been integral in my pro-life activism. Students for Life Action puts beliefs into action through door-knocking deployments, lobby days, phone calls and so much more. The ability to knock on a stranger’s door and be able to fully articulate the abortion issue and the political process with confidence is valuable beyond words. I had the opportunity to travel to Georgia with SFLAction for the senate runoff, and just recently I was in Richmond, VA doing activism as well. I cannot recommend the Captain Program enough. The ability to take ownership of activism within your respective state while also having fellowship with other captains is truly amazing.
What would you tell someone who wants to get involved in the pro-life movement?
Before anything else please know this: regardless of your background, political views, location, personality, etc, there is a place for you in the pro-life movement. It is easy to get overwhelmed, but I encourage you to just start where you are. Educate yourself and others and find a need in your own community. Maybe your community needs more volunteers on the sidewalk or at your local PRC. Maybe your school doesn’t have a pro-life group yet. Maybe there is a pro-life candidate running for office in your district who needs help. Most importantly, remember the intent of why you are getting involved in the pro-life movement in the first place. The pro-life movement is not here for glory. We are not here for fame. We are not here for social media follows or to be virtue signalers. We are humbly here because this is the greatest human rights injustice of our time. We are here because the preborn deserve just as much protection as the elderly. We are here because we believe that all lives matter, regardless of size, location, or dependency. We are here because we are the Pro-Life Generation and we will abolish abortion in our lifetime.
Anna Young won the National Right to Life Oratory Contest this year! Watch her winning speech here:
If you want to step up and lead in your community, we are here to help. The role of Students for Life Action is to train and mobilize this generation of pro-life leaders to impact public policy and influence key elections to restrict and abolish abortion state by state.
Join our efforts and help lead your state to abolish abortion. Apply to become a SFLAction Captain here.