A determined pro-life advocate at a Christian college in California has successfully launched a pro-life club, overcoming the institution’s initial resistance to her proposal.
Linda-Isabella Rendon, a sophomore studying pre-nursing at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California, aimed to establish a chapter of Students for Life. However, her efforts encountered obstacles when school officials rejected her initial plans.
“We attempted to create a Students for Life chapter at Vanguard and followed the standard club application process,” Rendon shared with Fox News Digital. “We gathered interested student names and submitted the application, only to learn that it was denied due to the school’s reluctance to engage with political or ideological affiliations.”
After receiving the rejection, Rendon met with Vanguard University President Michael Beals, who confirmed that the administration’s decision would not be overturned.
Students gather for speeches during Vanguard University’s graduation ceremonies at Mariners Church in Irvine, CA, on Thursday, May 5, 2022. (Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
On November 19, Students for Life sent a letter, endorsed by their attorney, to President Beals and Vice President for Student Development Amanda Lebrecht, criticizing the school’s “lack of cooperation” in facilitating the establishment of the chapter.
“The goals of [Vanguard University Students for Life] are not to form a politically motivated club that would cause controversy on campus, but rather to defend the life of the most innocent and to give a voice to the voiceless,” the letter said. “Linda-Isabella seeks to form a club for likeminded Christians to care for women that are struggling with a monumental decision, to help point them towards choosing life, and ultimately to help point them towards Christ.”
“Yet, after meetings with various administrators, Linda-Isabella’s efforts were denied. She was informed that a pro-life club would not be permitted, as the University has made a decision to stop allowing ‘political’ student organizations on campus,” the letter continued. “This is in conflict with the Christian values that Linda-Isabella and VUSFL seek to share with the campus community.”
Students for Life accused Vanguard University of a “lack of cooperation” in helping establish the chapter. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images)
That letter, in conjunction with publishing a story on the Students for Life website about Rendon’s experience trying to start the club, stirred action among the administration, according to Rendon.
“Students for Life really was very encouraging throughout this whole process with helping us, advising us on next steps and really helping us get out there, get the word out there on social media and with the article that was written,” Rendon said. “And so we published those. And then after that came out, we had another meeting with the president and the vice president just to clear up some things that there was some misunderstanding.”
She said that once the group was able to show the school that its goal was not political, but rather service-based and in alignment with the school’s Christian mission, the issue was settled.
“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,” said Rendon. “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.”
Pro-life activists react to the landmark Supreme Court decision overruling Roe vs. Wade. (Fox News Digital)
Those goals include diaper drives, baby bottle campaigns and baby showers for pregnant women who choose life.
“So once we really shared our goal and our intention of this club is when we were able to make some progress,” said Rendon. “We were told that Vanguard is pro-life, and they want to support a pro-life club, and so in the end, we will be having our pro-life club here on campus, and we are going to be naming it Vanguard Lions Love Life.”
Lebrecht told Fox News Digital that the administrators held a meeting with Rendon on Monday, Nov. 24, to resolve the issue, and affirmed Rendon’s claim that the point of contention on campus was not the pro-life club itself, but political neutrality.
She said that right now, the pro-life club has been formed separately from Students for Life.
“The original request was for a Students for Life chapter that had a political action dimension, which is in violation of our student clubs and organizations policy,” Lebrecht said.
She said that she, Beals and Rendon had a meeting to clear up the confusion.
“As a university, we completely affirmed the value of human life and are delighted that Linda-Isabella and … others close to the work are advocating for the unborn and supporting women who are choosing to have children,” she said.
Pro-life activists try to block the sign of a pro-choice activist during the 2018 March for Life Jan. 19, 2018, in Washington, D.C. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“The conversation Monday was around, you know, ‘it really sounds like what you were hoping to do is, down the lane of a service or social club, which are allowed,’” she said. “And so then we got to talk about the different resources that are available to the students, and the things we think that they could have a really positive impact on the campus as a service and social club, and so then that that confusion was cleared up there.”
Rendon was pleased with the resolution.
“It’s a very, very rewarding feeling,” she said.
“And all glory, of course, goes to God and the way that He moves, and only He knows everything that happened behind the scenes and the whole process. And so, God is so good in the way that He moves, and I know that this story will have an impact.”
