Student Cassandra Phillips ’20 submitted this vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWpO3YRl9aY.
The National Pro-Life Summit was one of the most life-changing weekends of my life. I had attended this conference last year with six other students and we came away from it with such a fire to start or revamp our own club. One year later, and we brought home the award for the National High School Group of the Year! It’s amazing what one year can do, and how much we were able to grow!
This conference was such an eye-opening experience in so many ways. It deeply impacted me by showing me the horrible truths of abortion and the abortion industry that are rarely talked about. Another beautiful part of the experience was the feeling of camaraderie and unity among everyone there because we all understood that we were there for the same mission and reason. With all the informative talks and keynotes given, I was given so much knowledge and “ammunition” to fight back against this horrific genocide. I have already used this information and these tactics to help spread love and truth, and I plan to continue doing so! I am so blessed to have been given the opportunity to have this amazing experience!
~ David Saunders ’20
I had a great experience at the pro-life conference! The March for Life let me see the pro-life movement in action for the first time. It was my first time going and I really enjoyed marching for a great cause with many of my friends. After the march, we went to the hotel and it was beautiful. I also got a room with a couple of my closest friends. That night, we explored Washington D.C., which is a great city. Then, we got to know some of the kids from other schools and talk about the conference.
In the morning, my friends and I got breakfast in our hotel, then we got to go to the conference. I was able to get in pretty early, so I got to go around to some of the booths, with people from YAF and Live Action among others. Then I went into the big ballroom, where we got to see some keynote speakers, like Kay Coles James (President of the Heritage Foundation) and Matt Birk (Superbowl champion). Throughout the day, we had several options of talks that we could attend, including a talk about the role of men in abortion that I found very interesting. Another talk I enjoyed was about how true feminism opposes abortion. At the end of the conference, Charlotte Pence spoke and we learned that O’Hara won the award for best high school pro-life group! All in all, it was a successful day.
I am so thankful to get this opportunity to learn more about what I am fighting for. Now I know so much more about how to really help the movement, which is growing every year. I can’t wait to attend the March for Life next year and hopefully the summit as well. My goal is to eventually help the pro-life mission so much that I can speak myself at one of these conferences. I can truly say it was an eye-opening experience that I will always remember.
~ Ryan Garvey ’22
The Pro-Life Summit for me was an incredible experience. I was able not only to gain more information about the abortion controversy, but I also learned apologetics and how to respond to people with the opposite opinion with wisdom and compassion. The speakers were honest, straightforward and made it clear why abortion is so wrong. They articulated the true evil that abortion is and gave us the real facts and statistics of it.
The summit also allowed my classmates and I to meet fellow young Pro-Lifers. I believe that it is very important to know that you have others standing with you and that you are not alone in your fight. It was remarkable to meet so many other teens who were so passionate about being Pro-Life. I trust that this Pro-Life generation, together, can and will end abortion. I feel equipped with the knowledge I have attained, and I am eager and confident to go out and make a change.
~ Isabella Guerra ’23
A few weeks ago, I was given the incredible opportunity to represent Cardinal O’Hara at the National Pro-life Summit in DC. Even before his amazing weekend I knew that the Pro-life mission was vital to the protection of the basic human right to life. But I did not know how to defend and stand up for this cause. I knew what had to be done, but lacked the tools I needed to do it. Through every section of the summit, I was armed for the battle, prepared to defend this vital mission to save the lives of the most innocent and vulnerable people in our society; the unborn.
One specific speaker that resonated deeply with me was Mrs. Kay Coles James. Mrs. James described an encounter with a Pro-choice person who said someone in an extremely unfortunate living situation should abort their child on the way. Mrs. James then simply stated,
“That was me. I was that child.” This moment gave me chills. To think such an amazing person could not have been here because of her own mother’s choice just astonished me, and made me realize the true impact of abortion.
~ Anne Brown ’22
Last year, the seven people who attended the conference had no idea what to expect. This was the first year anyone from O’Hara had gone, and there were only seven of us. Our expectations were blown out of the water. The speeches were so inspiring that we vowed to commit ourselves to the pro-life movement. We set up our leadership board, and got to work. This work paid off, as our membership grew from twenty members to one-hundred members, and twenty-three of those members attended this year’s summit, which was even more incredible than the year before.
The National Pro-Life Summit was one of the most influential weekends of my life. Having experienced the National Conference the year before, I had high expectations. But the sheer magnitude and quality of this weekend were absolutely awe-inspiring. The number of people there was shocking, as every speaking hall was packed to the brim. This was immensely encouraging for the future of the pro-life movement, as many of these people were young. The speakers were crucial in helping prepare the attendees for every situation they could face in the real world, from workplace conflicts to sidewalk confrontations. Without this weekend, I doubt the pro-life movement in America would be where it is today. It has inspired so many young people to get involved in the pro-life movement, and winning the National Pro-Life High School of the Year is an immense honor that everyone involved should take pride in.
~ Brian Brown ’20
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