The mission of Law Students for Life of America (SFLA) is to end abortion by educating students about the issues of abortion, euthanasia, and infanticide; identifying pro-life student leaders; equipping student pro-lifers with the training, skills and resources to be effective and successful; promoting student activity to other local, college and national organizations.

STAFF

Kristan Hawkins, Executive Director

Kristan was hired in 2006 to become Students for Life of America’s (SFLA) first Executive Director. Since launching SFLA’s full-time operation, Kristan has helped more than tripled the number of campus pro-life groups in the United States, from 181 to over 600, by launching SFLA’s Full-Time Field Program. As Executive Director, Kristan directs the mission and strategy of Students for Life of America. In addition, Kristan serves as the organization’s official spokeswoman and has appeared on Fox News, CNN, and the Christian Broadcasting Network. She has been quoted in numerous national and regional newspapers including the Washington Post, Politico, Town Hall, and local publications across the country. Kristan also speaks to youth and adult pro-life organizations across the country to train pro-life activists on how to end abortion in America.

Kristan is known for her work leading the successful Stop the Abortion Mandate Coalition, which brought together over 70 pro-life and pro-family leaders in a national coalition dedicated to stopping government funding of abortion in healthcare reform. In addition, she launched HealthcareforGunner.com in June of 2009, a website dedicated to her son Gunner who suffers from cystic fibrosis, to raise the issue of health care rationing in a government health care systems.

Most recently, Kristan began the Pregnant on Campus Initiative through Students for Life, which allows pro-life students to develop a customized plan with an SFLA Campus Support Coordinator to bring pregnancy and parenting-friendly resources to college campuses across the country.

Kristan came to SFLA after serving as a political appointee in the George W. Bush administration at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Previously, she also worked for the 2004 Bush/Cheney re-election campaign and at the Republican National Committee. Kristan founded and served as President of both her high school and college pro-life organizations. Kristan first became involved with the pro-life movement after volunteering for a Pregnancy Resource Center during her high school years.

Since working at SFLA, Kristan has been awarded the Susan B. Anthony Young Leader Award, the Dr. William Hogan Education Award for pro-life leadership, the 2009 Weyrich Youth Leadership Award, and a 2010 Life Prize Award. (Watch her speech here.) Kristan’s work and passion for the unborn has been featured in numerous publications, including in the Washington Examiner and in Citizen Magazine.

Kristan is a summa cum laude graduate of Bethany College in West Virginia. She resides in Martinsburg, West Virginia with her husband, Jonathan and 2 sons, Gunner and Bear.  Email Kristan.

 

 

Tina Whittington, Assistant Director

In 2010, Tina returned to full-time pro-life work at Students for Life after spending the last 8 years raising her family. As Assistant Director, Tina is responsible for managing the daily operations of SFLA.

Previously Tina worked with Rock For Life as Project Manager. While there she put together pro-life literature, wrote for the monthly newsletter, spoke at high schools and colleges, and organized events. She left Rock For Life in 2001 to focus on her growing family. For the past 6 years she has also worked as staff on her local Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat team, helping post abortive women and men through the grieving process.

Tina graduated from Portland Community College with an Associate of Arts degree. She lives in the Fredericksburg, VA area with her husband of 12 years and their four children: Justus, Mason, Asher and Esther. Email Tina.

 

Dr. Gerard Nadal, Ph.D, National Director of Medical Students for Life 

Dr. Gerard Nadal joined Students for Life in September 2011 as National Director of Medical Students for Life. Gerry began his pro-life work in 1983 when he joined the staff at Covenant House, a shelter for homeless teens in Times Square, New York. During his seven years at Covenant House, Gerry worked with mothers and their babies for five years, and two years on the Special Needs Unit, the only residential treatment facility in the U.S. At that time for adolescents with HIV/AIDS.

Four years ago, Gerry left full-time teaching when he and his wife Regina decided to home school their three children. Since then, Gerry has become involved in the pro-life movement as the author of the widely read pro-life science blog, Coming Home, as well as a columnist for LifeNews.com, LifeSiteNews.com, and Headline Bistro. He has given testimony before the New York City Council in defense of New York’s Pregnancy Centers, as well as having given testimony to the New York City Department of Education regarding their proposed sex education curricula and the role of condoms in spreading STD’s, especially among the young. A member of several advisory boards, Gerry is also a member of the Pope John Paul II Bioethics Commission.

In his position with MSFLA, Gerry is actively engaged in traveling the country and starting new student groups. He is also engaged in organizing and running medical conferences for medical students and resident physicians that educate them in areas of medicine such as perinatal hospice and therapeutic advances in prenatal diagnoses, the link between oral contraceptives, induced abortion and breast cancer, the epidemiology of STD’s and the role of contraceptives, all using Centers for Disease Control data. All conferences will be live webcast and permanently uploaded to a new video library at the Medical Students for Life Website.

Additionally, Gerry is organizing a national directory of pro-life physicians and bioethicists who are willing to serve as consultants and mentors for medical students and resident physicians. On another front, he is working along with the Alliance Defense Fund and Bioethics Defense Fund to ensure conscience protection rights for medical students and physicians. Another project is the upcoming First Annual Night of Honor where we will recognize and celebrate our new medical school graduates and members who have graduated residency training. The night will also honor one outstanding physician, and all in the pro-life community are welcome and encouraged to attend and pay tribute to our pro-life physicians and medical students.

Gerry graduated from Saint john’s University with a B.A. In Psychology, with a minor in Philosophy, attended Columbia University’s post-baccalaureate pre-med/science program., and then returned to Saint John’s where he earned his M.S. In Cellular and Molecular Biology, M. Phil. Biology, and Ph.D. In Molecular Microbiology. He did his post-doctoral research in Microbial Genetics at the City University of New York, and has taught college for sixteen years as both an adjunct professor while in graduate school, as well as full time at Manhattan College as Visiting Professor of Biology.

 

Jackie Anderson, Communications Director

Jackie joined Students for Life of America as the Communications Director in 2011, after serving on the inaugural board for the Pennsylvania chapter of Students for Life of America as Conference Director in 2008. During her senior year at Penn State University, she served as President of Penn State Students for Life as well as Life Liaison for the Penn State’s Newman Catholic Students Association chapter. Her time as Conference Director and SFL President played an integral role in re-establishing the pro-life movement on campus and organizing the first Pennsylvania statewide pro-life college and university conference, which has since become an annual event.

She has been a featured speaker for various pro-life events and has taken part in numerous demonstrations and vigils alongside prominent pro-life leaders. Her efforts to expand the pro-life presence in Pennsylvania while obtaining her undergraduate degree earned her numerous media pundits, including in several national media outlets. Since graduating in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and a minor in Political Science, Jackie has continued to establish pro-life organizations on college campuses and maintain her network of pro-life colleagues. Email Jackie. 

 

Ashleigh Weaver, Operations Coordinator

Ashleigh joined Students for Life of America as the Operations Coordinator in 2011. She previously worked at Maggie’s Place, a community of homes of hospitality for pregnant women.  She was the Director of both The Magdalene House in Phoenix and the The Mary House in Idaho.  Ashleigh graduated from Texas A&M in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences.  Following graduation, she interned for Texas Congressman Kevin Brady.  Ashleigh first become involved in the pro-life movement during the very first 40 Days for Life in College Station, Texas.  She was involved in 40 Days for Life throughout college and was a Sidewalk Counselor.  She is passionate about helping women in crisis pregnancies and hopes to continue this work at Students for Life.  She now works within the Field Department as Campus Support Coordinator, spearheading the Pregnant on Campus Initiative and traveling across the country to help train and equip pro-life students.

 

Amanda Lord, Field Coordinator/Social Media Coordinator

 

 

 

 

Sheri Krotzer, South Mid-West Regional Coordinator

Sheri graduated from Central Michigan University in May 2010 with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and a minor in Philosophy. She became involved in the pro-life movement in the spring of her freshman year, eventually serving her pro-life campus group as Treasurer, Secretary and President. During her senior year, she worked as the Vice President for Students for Life of Michigan, as well as running her campus pro-life group as its President. Sheri was also involved in the journalistic opportunities at her school, writing for the campus newspaper and online magazineand also worked with Students for Life in the summer of 2009 as one of SFLA’s Missionaries for Life.

After graduation, Sheri knew that working in the pro-life movement was what she wanted to do with her life. She started out working as an intern for CatholicVote.org and gained valuable experience doing research, learning more online media and developing her writing skills. Then, in August 2010, she accepted the Field Agent position to cover Mississippi, Missouri and Arkansas for SFLA’s field program. As a Field Agent, Sheri will be traveling to campuses to train, equip, educate and motivate the next generation of pro-life leaders. Email Sheri.
 

 

Steve Macias, West Coast Regional Coordinator

Steve was thrust into the Prolife movement while serving as Student Body President at Sacramento City College, he was nearly removed from his post by the administration when he refused to censor a prolife demonstration on his campus. Following a campus uproar and some legal action Steve retained his seat and won a major battle for pro-life activism, emerging as a invigorated leader for students in the prolife movement. Steve has spent time working with other organizations such as the Alliance Defense Fund, The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, and Sohlnet.
Steve is now in his Junior year at Liberty University. His leadership has been the perfect experience for working with College’s across the Western United States. He sat on the board for the Student Senate for California Colleges learning and influencing the direction of hundreds of schools throughout the state.

In addition to his involvement with particularly student groups, Steve is on the board of directors for the California Republican Assembly, California’s oldest and largest conservative organization. He also serves on his local central committee and as an officer of the Sacramento Republican Club. His success in standing up for pro-life speech gained Steve a speaking slot at the internationally renowned CPAC Convention and his work has been featured on many major platforms including the Michael Medved Show and the National Review.

Steve has distinguished himself as one of the Sacramento area’s most effective young conservative activists. Steve joined Students for Life of America in 2010 as the West Coast Field Agent to continue to raise up the next generation of prolife leaders. Email Steve.

 

Phil Eddy, Northeast Regional Coordinator 

Phil Eddy joined Students for Life in summer 2011 as the Northeast Regional Coordinator.  As a regional coordinator, he is the long arm of the SFLA office on high school and college campuses, focusing on New York and New Jersey. He works to help students establish a pro-life presence on their campus, and gain the skills and knowledge they need to become active propagators of the message long after they graduate.  Phil strongly believes the activity of Students for Life is essential to building a future in which life is respected and protected, and he is excited to work alongside the excellent SFLA team.

Before joining Students for Life, he worked full-time and volunteered for several national pro-life organizations, and was privileged to have taken part in activism and outreach efforts in over three dozen states. Education, outreach, and activist organizing is Phil’s passion in life; he sits on the leadership boards of Peace Advocacy Network and SecularProLife.org, and has been involved in efforts across a wide spectrum of movements, from anti-racism and pro-free speech, to animal rights and poverty relief. Email Phil.

 

Abigail Kiehl, Pennsylvania and Ohio Regional Representative