Senior Prolife Essay Scholarship

The Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund awards a $500 scholarship in the spring to one prolife high school senior. Selection criteria include a 400-500 word essay on a given prompt. Candidates are nominated by their local RLM affiliates. For more information, contact your local Right to Life of Michigan affiliate, or State Contest Coordinator at (616) 532-2300 or migenleads@staging.rtl.org.

2025 Contest Winner

It is with great admiration and heartfelt pride that we announce Natalie Anderson of Grand Rapids Right to Life as the recipient of this year’s Senior Prolife Essay Scholarship. Natalie’s achievement is more than a personal milestone; it reflects the values we hold as a community. Her thoughtful and courageous voice reminds us of the importance of standing firm in our beliefs and advocating for the dignity and value of every human life! As a community, we celebrate her as a student of excellence and a young leader whose integrity and passion set an inspiring example for her peers.

Natalie’s Essay:

“The day before my tenth birthday, my mom received an e-mail that would change our lives forever. Sitting together and reading about my soon-to-be little sister, neither of us could have imagined the impact this frail baby would have. Adopting and learning to care for this inherently valuable child played an integral role in shaping my prolife character, and being her big sister has influenced my future in the medical field.

My family had been involved in foster care for years before we received that pivotal e-mail, but we had never seen a child presented in such a degrading manner. This five-month-old had suffered a catastrophic brain injury during birth and been effectively abandoned by her birth parents and neglected by the hospital. We were told that she should have died, that she had an extremely low chance of survival, and that she would never walk, talk, or eat on her own.

Despite that dismal forecast, my family firmly believed that her life, and every life, whether born or in the womb, fully functioning or disabled, is inherently valuable and worth protecting.

When my mom asked what I thought about adopting her, I said, “Another little sister would be the best birthday present ever.” Seven weeks later, Esther Eniola Grace came home.

Learning to care for Esther and her needs has taught me what it truly means to be prolife for every person and situation. Though her biological parents had chosen life for her, nearly everyone else consigned her to a second-class life, if they thought she would live at all. My family and I, however, were given the opportunity to demonstrate that regardless of ability, every life has value.

Caring for Esther has not been easy. The trauma from her brain injury left her unable to perform most daily functions, so I have learned how tube feed, administer medications, and calm her when she cannot express herself. Though her needs are great, so is the joy she brings through her contagious laugh and bright smile, and so are the many opportunities her presence brings about for prolife conversations.

Being Esther’s sister has allowed me to grow in my prolife beliefs as they apply to those with disabilities and has shaped my goals for the future. Tending to her medical needs has prepared me for a career as a nurse and has made me comfortable around aspects of care that make others squeamish. With my understanding of the value of all life and my knowledge of caring for those with disabilities, I feel equipped to enter the medical field as a competent healthcare provider and prolife advocate.

It has been over eight years since Esther came home, and she reminds me daily of the value of every life, regardless of ability, and the ways that caring for a child with special needs can shape one’s future.

I cannot imagine where our family would be without her, and I am so glad my mom received that e-mail all those years ago.”

The Award

The Right to Life of Michigan Educational Fund will award a non-renewable $500 scholarship to one prolife high school senior in Michigan. The award may be used towards tuition, books, and/or college supplies.

Eligibility

Any Michigan student who is a high school senior for the Fall, or Winter/Spring semesters of the 2024/2025 school year.

Selection

must send the chosen application and essay to the Right to Life of Michigan State Office, and it must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

Requirements

400-500 words. Prompt: Reflect on areas where you believe your character has grown throughout your journey as a young prolife advocate and how this influences your future goals.

All applications and essays must be submitted to the local affiliate.