Before and After and the Journey In-Between

With all the students from Illinois who attended the March for Life, there are many moving stories of their experiences. So, I'm going to post these on a weekly basis so you can continue to be inspired by these amazing students!Today, we have a reflection from Molly Dettmann of Dominican University who has already started making an impact on her campus. After being inspired by the March for Life she sought out the help of SFLI Campus Mentor, Kevin Grillot to learn how to turn that inspiration into meaningful action.Enter Molly...Ever since I was little, the issue of abortion has been very real to me. I grew up in a pro-life family and my parents taught me at a young age the importance of life and how sacred this special gift is.However, the March for Life was always some giant exciting event that seemed very distant and far away. I would hear about it occasionally, but the opportunity to attend seemed more like a bucket list item than an actual reality. It wasn’t until I got older and started college that I became much more aware of the importance of being up to date with the current issues in our country.I attend a small private liberal arts college and while I was sitting in seminar last semester, my professor started giving a litany of her political beliefs and views on abortion which radically differed with my pro-life values. Before I could even find the courage to voice my opinion, the whole class was agreeing with my professor and I soon realized the uphill battle I would be fighting in the tolerant world we are living in today. I was outnumbered, upset, and felt alone in my beliefs about life.However, great moments are born from great opportunities. I soon saw an advertisement on campus for the March for Life!Was it a risk?Yes.Was I nervous?You bet.But did I answer the call to attend the March? Yes I did and it was an experience that changed my life and inspired me in more ways than one.From the moment I met up with the other students from the Archdiocese of Chicago for the March, there was an incredible sense of a family, love, and hope. Fear was replaced by courage, anxiety replaced by excitement, and loneliness in my beliefs replaced by the vibrant spirit of thousands of students my age who were coming together to stand for life!At the actual march, I will never forget the moment when our group of about 60 students turned the corner on a street in D.C and the sight of over 500,000 people of all different ages, races, and backgrounds, guys and girls, babies and grandparents, children and students, moms and dads, completely filled the streets and all you could hear were chants and cheers for life!I will never forget that moment.It was then were I realized that I wasn’t alone, I was supported beyond my belief and that I was apart of the largest social justice movement since the movement for Civil Rights. Now that’s awesome!The next day at the Students for Life of America “Be Courageous” conference, I along with over 2,000 other students like me received the information, inspiration, and the tools we would need to be advocates for life on our campuses and to spread the message of life while encouraging others to be silent no more.One of the speakers said, “Silence in the face of evil is evil itself”. This quote hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t be silent anymore while trying to not hurt anybody’s feelings about abortion or to not cause conflict; I have a duty to the 55 million who never got the chance to speak up because abortion silenced them forever. I would spread the message of life through words and works of love.Today, I am proud to say that I am no longer afraid to spread the pro-life message to those around me.Our pro-life group, Stars for Life, has many great events planned for this semester and I have already had multiple students approach me about learning more about what they can do for the pro-life cause and just wanting to learn the truth about abortion.It is an unbelievable feeling to know that just through talking with others and standing up for what’s right, that I can play a role in saving the lives of innocent children. It is never easy to be a voice when everyone else is silent and fear is always knocking at the door, but courage is not the absence of fear; but the willingness to act in spite of fear.--Thank you, Molly for your willingness to act in spite of fear!For those who want to keep up with the great work of the pro-life students at Dominican, go here:Dominican Stars for Life Facebook Page.