President Ronald Reagan once said, “America is too great for small dreams.” The mere idea of an American dream is enough for people to leave their homes, families, belongings - everything - in its pursuit.  That’s why I choose to have enormous dreams – like the dream that one day, all human life will be valued, respected, protected and cherished. It is also why I am in college to lay the foundation to help make that dream a reality.

As a Political Science major, I am learning how to work within the political and legal systems to create laws that defend the preborn. Ultimately, my dream is for a personhood amendment that protects life in the womb.

I have been pro-life for my entire life. In fact, I’ve been marching for life since I could walk. As a child, I was a founding member (along with my mother) of a local group called Northwest Families for Life. As a high school senior, that organization presented me with their "Just Like Joe" award in honor of the late Joe Scheidler and the work I was doing to carry on his legacy. I was a Crusader for Life from age 13-19 through my parish, founded the pro-life club at my Catholic High School, worked for Coalition Life as a sidewalk counselor in the “abortion safe haven” city of Carbondale, IL, and I am currently the vice president of the pro-life student organization at my university, Life on Campus. I’m also the president of Turning Point USA at my university. Through all of these pro-life activities, I have seen both the enormous power of prayer and also how our duties as pro-lifers are lived.

Of course, we have a duty to pray for the babies and their mothers, and we also have a civic duty to defend them.  This means calling and talking with our politicians to educate them about policies and the impact of their votes on legislation and also asking them to represent us by voting for life. In addition, we have to get out to vote during all elections to be the voice for the voiceless and help ensure people of good will take office.

The politics in my home state of Illinois have provided me with numerous examples of how much voting matters and the impact it has on the issue of abortion. Today, we have elected officials fighting for the most extreme and egregious abortions at the local, state and federal levels, but it was not always this way. Illinois was once pro-life, with men like former Rep. Henry Hyde in office. In the 1970’s, Rep Hyde presented an amendment to ban government funding of abortion. It didn’t actually become law right away until after it went through three separate Supreme Court rulings. His willingness to fight for the cause changed the abortion debate. It forced every member of Congress to take a stand on the issue.

By the people of Illinois voting for this champion of life, Rep. Hyde was able to open the discussion in Congress about the beginnings of human life and the need to protect the preborn. His efforts seem to have been the catalyst for respect for life becoming an important issue in our elections and in our political system today.

Tragically, Illinois has become an “abortion safe haven” for those seeking abortions from other states. Our elected officials at all levels push a pro-abortion agenda and have removed any type of oversight. Abortion facilities do not have to be inspected. There are no longer parental notification requirements. There is no need to show a mother an ultrasound of her child before she aborts her baby. Chemical abortion pills are given out like candy, without proper medical care for the mothers, so if a mother who has an ectopic pregnancy takes mifepristone and misoprostol abortion pills, she WILL die, and our elected officials don’t seem to care. It has gotten so extreme that they have knocked down Rep. Hyde’s amazing legacy, allowing taxpayer dollars to fund abortions here.

Our votes matter! What a painful change to go from being a pro-life state to being one where human life is disregarded. I will do my part to bring change and defend the preborn and their mothers. I will always vote pro-life and will also work to help cultivate future leaders and politicians who will use the power of their offices to be the voice for the voiceless.