On July 17^th, nearly twenty student leaders gave up their Saturday in order to come to a pro-life summer retreat.

SFLI hosted this retreat in order to give pro-life leaders the opportunity to jump-start their pro-life work on their respective campuses in the fall. Retreat participants got specific insights on how to greatly expand the pro-life movement on their different college campuses, and they also had a chance to collaborate with each other and gain perspective and ideas from other leaders like themselves.

Alicia kicked off the retreat with a stimulating talk on what it is to be a true leader. She gave valuable reflections on building a team and working with others, and emphasized the importance of a willingness to make sacrifices for the sake of the greater good.

John-Paul followed up Alicia’s speech with a plan of action. He explained the SFLI method that will change college campuses into campuses that respect the dignity of human life. Through pro-life discussions and mentorship, SFLI will equip students with the knowledge and resources to become active pro-lifers, and SFLI will build up more and more student leaders.

After hearing about true leadership and about the expansion of the pro-life movement on campuses, the student leaders at the retreat broke into smaller groups and discussed among themselves how they could apply these principles to their campuses.

In the afternoon, Lindsay Pyrcik, an SFLI intern, gave a short review of activism. Lindsay gave testimony to her different activism experiences, and suggested the best ways to talk to your peers in any situation about being pro-life.

The retreat attendees split into two groups then in order to participate in a Pro-Life Round Table. John-Paul had explained Round Tables in his talk that morning, and this gave the student leaders a chance to experience it for themselves. A Round Table is a discussion where anywhere from four to ten students meet to talk, think critically, and expand their knowledge about different pro-life issues. During the school year, any one Round Table group will meet about once a week. The student leaders at the retreat had very positive feedback on the Round Table discussions, and are excited to get them going on their campuses!

Following the Round Tables, Jenny Meyer, a pro-life activist, gave the leaders a plethora of tips and techniques on recruiting new members for their pro-life groups and Round Tables, especially during the rush of the first couple of weeks on campus. Jenny explained the importance of building relationships with students who you want to join you in the pro-life movement, and specifically expressing interest in them.

The student leaders were then given another chance to break into smaller groups and talk to each other about how they would implement these ideas on their campuses, and how they could really make use of them.

Finally, the retreat closed with Peter Breen, a board member of SFLI and an attorney for the Thomas More Society, a pro-life law firm. Peter tied the retreat together and gave the leaders a chance to ask any questions that they had on anything to do with the pro-life movement.

From left to right: Kelly, Mary, Erin, Jovana, Laura, Hannah, and Kelly

Speaking from my personal perspective, I thought that this was a great retreat. Since I was one of the coordinators, I didn’t quite get a chance to participate in everything, but I feel that I truly benefited from everything of which I was a part. As a student leader, I found that every topic addressed was completely relevant and helpful, and that I came away with some exponentially useful tips, information, and resources. I can’t wait for the next semester to start so that I can get started – and many of the student leaders at the retreat expressed to me that they feel the same way.

-Rose Schmillen, SFLI Intern

SFLI will be posting video footage of the speakers from this retreat. If you are interested in hearing the speakers, comment on this post or e-mail John-Paul Deddens at johnpaul@prolifeillinois.com.