Youth Award 2013

Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund will award a $500 scholarship in March to one outstanding prolife high school senior in Michigan. Selection criteria include an essay and past participation in prolife activities. For more information about the youth award, please contact your RLM affiliate.

Youth Award application - PDF

2012 Youth Award Winner - Sarah Huber, Grand Rapids Right to Life

Sarah has participated with Grand Rapids Right to Life in several ways, including bake-sale fundraising, volunteering for their annual dinner and traveling with them to the 2012 March for Life. Sarah is the president of West Catholic High School Students for Life. She has participated in many events, including baby bottle and donation drives for local pregnancy centers, Life Chain and 40 Days for Life. She plans on attending Marquette University. Congratulations Sarah for your dedication to prolife work!

What can this next generation do to promote a positive prolife message?

I live in a generation that has become increasingly lazy. I live in a generation that has become increasingly ignorant to the truth. I live in a generation that has become less and less motivated. The laziness, ignorance and the lack of self-motivation have closed down the youth to the prolife message. It has become acceptable to be passive. But I believe that my generation and even the next can spread a positive prolife message. I believe that with a little self-motivation, me generation and the generations to come can spread a positive prolife message.

The prolife movement tends to have a negative image to those who are not a part of it. This is where the younger generations can be misguided and ignorant to what the movement is about. It is easier for the younger generations to accept the stereotyped, Bible-thumping, conservative Christian view of the prolife movement than to see what it is really about. The generations need to motivate themselves to action to educate themselves on what the prolife movement is really about. The prolife movement is not just political and not just for Christians. At its core, it is about the respect for every person, it is about the love for the human person.

The work does not stop at education about the prolife movement. The generations need to be self-motivated to be, to speak, to act. Being prolife requires acting and speaking out in the respect for life. It comes with realizing that every life from a fetus to the elderly is beautiful. It requires not accepting the new norm that it is a choice and a right and not a child. It requires speaking out against what society has accepted as a right. But words are no good if they are not backed with actions. Spreading the positive prolife message requires action. Actions can range from volunteering time to donating money to being a prolife presence in one’s community.

It starts with self-motivation. Self-motivation leads to education. Education leads to being. Being leads to speaking and acting. The younger generations hold all the power. The power to change what society has become. The power to spread a positive prolife message. The power to promote that every life is beautiful. The power to change the law. The power to do good or the power to do bad. The former will happen with self-motivation. The latter will be a result without it.

 

Honorable Mention – Elise Steffke, Southern Downriver Right to Life

Elise has participated several times in the Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund High School Oratory Contest. She has given numerous speeches for prolife groups and Southern Downriver Right to Life, including for their pastor’s luncheon. She has served for two years as the secretary of Riverview Community High School Youth for Life. She plans on attending Hillsdale College.

From Elise's essay: "For too long has the prolife movement been silenced by those who do not want us to give a voice to those who cannot speak. My prolife friends and I started a prolife club at our school, Youth for Life. But unfortunately, we are still not recognized as an official school club, because we have 'religious tones.' This means we refuse to deny the fact we believe in protecting those who cannot stand up for themselves!"

 

Honorable Mention – Caleb Krichbaum, Lenawee County Right to Life

Caleb has volunteered in many ways with Lenawee County Right to Life for several years. He has helped the campaign of a prolife candidate, helped fold newsletters and attended their annual rallies in January to memorialize Roe v. Wade. He is considering attending Michigan Tech, the University of Akron or the University of Toledo.

From Caleb's essay: "With integrity, we must reveal the truth of abortion to others. We need to vote for candidates who have integrity, ones who will vote for life if they are elected to office. We can write letters to our political leaders, and let them know that we want to protect the lives of those who can’t protect themselves. If we do not tell them what we want them to vote for, we are letting those who oppose us take advantage of our silence."