program. Courtesy | Olivia Manocchio
The Hillsdale College for Life club has added a second track to its Klusendorf Fellowship. With this addition, fellows in the second track will be able to develop leadership skills by participating in outreach programs.
“We’re going to have them be doing a lot more hands-on activism by learning how to do outreach with Protect Life Michigan and training them to be leaders in doing outreach,” said Adelaide Holmes ‘20, campus mentor for Protect Life Michigan. “Protect Life Michigan has a specific program for them to do that.”
Holmes and other members of the Hillsdale College for Life club worked together to create the Klusendorf Fellowship last fall. The fellowship is named after Scott Klusendorf, one of the most well-known pro-life apoligists in the movement right now.
Holmes said the goal of creating the Klusendorf Fellowship was to recruit more Hillsdale College students to become leaders in the pro-life movement.
“Specifically at Hillsdale, it’s a little unique because there are so many pro-life people here,” Holmes said. “People here already agree that abortion is an injustice; we want to get them doing something about it so that we can make a great impact.”
Last year, the fellowship consisted of 13 fellows who joined the entire club in going through an apologetics video course provided by Protect Life Michigan. In addition to going through the apologetics course, fellows engaged in exclusive apologetics reading and deeper discussions.
This year, the fellowship has six fellows in track one and six fellows in track two. Fellows in both tracks will read and discuss apologetics books. Holmes added that the overarching goal of both tracks is to provide students who want to be part of the pro-life movement with a sense of community and an outlet to develop as leaders.
“We want them to be competent pro-life leaders, but we also want to develop those habits for them in college,” Holmes said. “That’s the idea of having track one and track two. If students were really invested in track one, and they want to keep doing it, we want to keep offering them opportunities to become more involved so that it becomes a habit.”
Junior David Hunter, advancement chair for Hillsdale College for Life, said he will be organizing biweekly apologetics book discussions for the fellows. According to Hunter, fellows will read several different books over the two semesters including one book on leadership, another about apologetics, and “The Case for Life” by Klusendorf.
“I’m looking forward to meeting the fellows, really growing with the fellows, and learning together,” Hunter said. “I hope we grow as leaders together and make friendships.”
While fellows in track two will be focused on outreach, fellows in track one will work on a pro-life project and brainstorm ways to get more students involved with Hillsdale College for Life, according to Hillsdale College for Life President Olivia Manocchio.
“We thought it would be helpful for students to think in a group and reflect about what on campus could be better or how we could reach more people,” Manocchio said. “The fellows will work with Adelaide, David, and myself to develop a more comprehensive plan.”
Manocchio said the fellows may begin writing an official newsletter, organize an activism event, or put together a fundraising event.
“We are hoping to give them a chance to display leadership in a pro-life way, but there’s also a lot of felxibility built in so that they can draw on their unique strengths,” Manocchio said.
Most recently, Hillsdale College for Life collaborated with Helping Hands Pregnancy Resource Center, formerly Alpha Omega Pregnancy Care Center, to make baby blankets and put together donations for mothers. Additionally, the fellows heard from Klusendorf virtually on Sept. 25 and will attend mini retreats to hear from other speakers throughout the school year.
Manocchio said Hillsdale College for Life plans to hold events with on-campus and outside speakers. The fellows will also have the chance to meet the speakers before events. Eventually, Manocchio said she hopes that the fellows will be able to shadow board members in the spring semester and then transition into becoming board members for the club.
“It’s a really great way for people to increase their commitment to the pro-life movement,” Manocchio said. “Even if they don’t go on to be pro-life leaders in their careers, it would prepare people for their careers from a pro-life perspective.”
