Today we introduce you to Erin Stoyell-Mulholland, a Pennsylvania-native who is a senior at the University of Notre Dame majoring in theology with a business minor.

When did you first come to the March for Life?

My first trip was in the 7^th grade with my parish in New Jersey at the time.  I went again my senior year of high school and have gone every year since then!  This past year, I was the president of our pro-life club and coordinated a group from Notre Dame that was supposed to bring 600 students!  Because of the weather, not everyone was able to make it but we still ended up with 350 people!

What was your biggest take-away from this past March for Life?

What really stood out to me this past year was the perseverance of everyone in the pro-life movement! DC itself was almost shut down because of the snow and freezing temperatures, and yet thousands still showed up.  No one was complaining, but everyone was just happy to be there to be standing up for what they believe, in such a joyful manner.

How have you been marching on for life since January?

I became the pregnancy resource coordinator for our pro-life group and we will be focusing on the promotion of pregnancy resources.  Notre Dame has great resources, such as emotional, academic, personal, and financial assistance, but a lot of people don’t know about them.  We are also going to be doing trainings for students on how to help a friend who is pregnant.  One thing we did in the spring, that we plan to do again, is to have information at the cafeteria tables to spread this information.

Additionally, this summer in DC I worked at the pro-life office for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.  (We were delighted to have Erin participate and speak at the March for Life 5K in May during her time in D.C.!)

How do you see yourself being involved in the pro-life movement in the future?

I definitely plan to work in the pro-life movement in future, in whatever way I see myself being called.  I’m very passionate about educational outreach.

What’s your advice for fellow young people?

Don’t be afraid to stand for your beliefs.  You might have some tough conversations, but people will respect your passion.  People get far more afraid of the consequences of standing up, but ultimately people who are your friends will support you.

Patrick Eliert, is  a rising senior at St. John’s Catholic School in Beloit, KS. Patrick has been to the March for Life three times.  He first attended in 2011, and this year he is serving as the president of his school’s “Catholic School Life Rally” initiative.

What were some take aways from the March for Life?

It was really cool to see the numbers that showed up. It showed me that, sometimes, although you feel like you are by yourself, there are people who share your beliefs. When we all get together, we can move mountains.

How have you been “marching on for life” since January? What is the Catholic School Life Rally?

Our school has been, for the past 5 or 6 years, going to an abortion clinic in Lincoln, Nebraska for peaceful prayer and protest. Last year we tried to make this a nationwide initiative. The goal was to get Catholic and Christian schools from all over the country to also participate and go to an abortion clinic or Planned Parenthood and join us in prayer on the same day. Last year our goal was to get 10 other schools involved, and 18 participated.

How can other students or schools get involved this year?

We have a Facebook page, and hopefully soon we will have a website. Once we determine the date for the next Catholic School Life Rally, we will send out that information to anyone who is interested in joining. We usually do it in early December.

Like the Catholic School Life Rally on Facebook!

What made you want to get involved as President of the Catholic School Life rally?

This is something I feel very strongly about. It’s the one thing I want to change about the world most. When the opportunity presented itself, I felt like God was calling me to get involved.

What’s your advice to fellow young people?

There are always going to be people who disagree with you and will try to put you down. That is no reason to stop fighting.