SPL president Kelsey Hazzard wins Defender of Life Award

The 2016 Defender of Life Award recipients; click to enlarge

On Wednesday, Students for Life of America announced the 2016 winners of its annual Defender of Life Award. Normally, the award is given to just one recipient each year. But this year, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Students for Life of America’s work as a full-time organization, they named ten recipients—all Millennials.

That’s me on the bottom left!

The awards will be presented during the Students for Life of America conferences later this month. The schedule is packed and there won’t be time for speeches. So I want to take this opportunity to publicly say that I’m honored to receive this award, and to thank a few people in no particular order:

My dear friends and co-leaders—Monica Snyder, Ellen Snyder, and Terrisa Lopez—who help me run Secular Pro-Life, keep me from burning out, and always give me a reason to laugh.

My fellow award winner Kristan Hawkins, for seeing my leadership potential when I was still a college student.

All of Secular Pro-Life’s donors.

Everyone who has invited me to speak at their schools over the years.

Everyone who has ever volunteered for Secular Pro-Life.

Everyone who shares SPL articles and graphics.

Everyone who marches with SPL.

My pro-choice friends who have stuck with me.

My former co-workers at Americans United for Life, especially my mentor, Jeanneane Maxon.

And finally my parents, who taught me to always stick up for those who can’t stick up for themselves.

Thank you all so, so much.