A student at a Christian college in California has created her own pro-life organization after administrators declined her request to establish a Students for Life of America (SFLA) chapter on campus.
Linda-Isabella Rendon, a sophomore pre-nursing major at Vanguard University, decided to start an independent pro-life club after the school rejected her proposal for an official SFLA chapter.
The new organization, called “Vanguard Lions Love Life,” operates separately from Students for Life of America, a national group that equips young activists to oppose abortion on high school and college campuses.
Students for Life Action, SFLA’s sister organization, focuses on mobilizing young adults to influence public policy and elections related to abortion. Vanguard administrators referenced this political component in their decision to deny SFLA club status.
In a statement to The Christian Post, the office of Amanda Lebrecht, Vanguard’s vice president of student development, said the university’s policies do not allow clubs “affiliated with political advocacy initiatives.” The statement explained that Rendon’s initial request was denied because SFLA is a national organization engaged in political advocacy.
“However, because Vanguard University and the student share equal beliefs in the sanctity of life for the unborn, we were determined to work together to find a solution that would allow the important work of the proposed club to occur,” Lebrecht’s office said. “We were able to collaborate with the student on an alternative option to form an independent service club that champions the unborn and supports women who are choosing to have children.”
Rendon wrote in a Nov. 19 article for SFLA’s website that she was inspired to start a pro-life club because she noticed “Vanguard University didn’t have one.”
Speaking with Fox News Digital, Rendon emphasized that she does not view abortion as a political matter. Instead, she called it “a heart issue” and “a Christian value,” explaining that her goal was to establish a service-oriented club aimed at helping women and children in need.
According to Fox News Digital, administrators allowed Rendon to establish the club following a Nov. 24 meeting with Lebrecht, saying the school approved it once she clarified that the group would not be political but would focus on service-oriented activities consistent with the university’s values.
The club’s planned activities include supporting pregnant mothers by organizing baby showers, diaper drives, and baby bottle fundraising campaigns.
“God created us before we even were in the womb. He knew our purpose and the plans that he has for our lives, and obviously, as a Christian university, they want to support this message,” Rendon said. “And so, once we revealed that this is our intention to share the sanctity of life and to really support those women in need, we wanted to share our goals, the things that we want to do.”
