Senior Andrew VanDevere on freshman Theodosius Santalov’s shoulders at the March for Life.
Courtesy | Áine Schroeder

Crowds of college and high school students, nuns and clergymen, and even babies gather annually in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the sanctity of life 

“This year, at the March for Life, I saw thousands and thousands of people, young and old, who live under the conviction that life is a gift from God, and no matter what it takes to protect that life and to save that life, we are willing to do that, especially as Christians,” said Meredith VanDerWeide, senior and president of Hillsdale College for Life.

Nearly 100 Hillsdale College and Hillsdale Academy students were among the thousands of school and college campuses, organizations, and religious communities who marched from the National Mall to march in front of the Supreme Court and the Capitol. 

“It wasn’t just fighting against the evil of abortion, it was also building up strong families and promoting good things that can really transform the culture,” sophomore Maya Miller said. 

Miller and sophomore Micah Vawter took that to heart as they got engaged on the trip, celebrating their one-year anniversary since they began dating at last year’s March for Life. 

The pro-life cause is personal for Vawter, whose mother was advised to abort his brother, Matthew, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome and severe heart complications. 

“Matthew is 18 now, and is constantly proving that his life has infinite value to everyone around him and in and of itself,” Vawter said. “I wanted to fight for all of them, the unborn babies, especially those with special needs that Matthew has.” 

For the second year in a row, the March for Life rally featured a video message from President Donald Trump and speeches from Vice President J.D. Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson R-La. 

Vance, whose family recently announced they’re expecting their fourth child, spoke on the efforts of the Trump administration to protect and provide for human life in America and around the world. 

“We know that life is a gift. We know that babies are precious because we know them and we love them and we see the way they can transform our families,” Vance said at the rally. “We know that family is not just the source of great joy, but it’s part of God’s design for men and women, a design that extends outward from the family to our neighborhoods, to our communities, and to the United States of America itself.” 

VanDerWeide said she is excited about the progress made in the legal and political realm regarding abortion but that the movement ought to focus on supporting women in their own communities. 

“Whether abortion is legal or illegal, no matter how accessible it is, women are always going to find a way to access it. And so laws are not enough to stop it,” VanDerWeide said. “We need to create communities of love and support so that women don’t even think of abortion as an option.”

Both guest speeches and participants’ signs at the March for Life not only called for the protection of unborn babies but also promoted marriage and families. 

Asked what impact this march left on them, multiple students used words like “excited,” and “enthusiastic.” 

“I saw a lot of young people like us, and it was clear that they were passionate about not just saving the unborn, but also life itself, from their enthusiasm and their joy that they brought to the march,” sophomore Sophia Carey said. 

Santalov said many joyful people attended the March for Life.

“Marchers are excited about everything that has to do with life, right? They’re excited about worshiping God. They’re excited about raising their children. They’re excited about living,” Santalov said. “In this day and age where there’s so much negativity in the news and in public discourse, it’s cool to go somewhere where everyone is in agreement that life is good, life is sacred, and life must be preserved.”