Hardworking and passionate are two words that describe Haili Gusa. She is full of energy to advocate for babies and she inspires other youth to take a stand for the unborn.
Haili, an eighth grader at Ubly High School, has always been prolife. Her mother is involved with Huron County Right to Life but Haili wanted to do more.
“I wanted to take it to the next level and become more hands on,” she said.
She is involved in FCCLA (Family, Career and Community Leaders of America), where she is the junior president. In April she competed in the state competition with a project on abortion, earning a gold rating and first place. On July 6 she advanced to nationals in Washington, D.C., receiving a score of 98.3 out of 100 and a gold rating.
She competed in the FCCLA competition in 7th grade in a different category and at the awards ceremony she noticed the advocacy event.
“It was a goal of mine and something I wanted to do,” she said.
The competition consists of an oral presentation and a portfolio. The portfolio is very involved and requires a lot of effort, including research and an elevator speech. Haili’s portfolio inspired her to comprehensively research the basic details of abortion. She came up with a method of action to wear prolife clothing, write letters to companies that support Planned Parenthood, and media involvement. Haili reached out to her peers through social media and put posters on her school locker. Haili was commended by Huron County Right to Life’s president for her hard work as a youth advocate.
Haili’s ambition for the unborn is inspiring and it doesn’t stop there. Her mother, Jeanne, says that Haili intends to share her competition experience with others back home and spread the word about abortion. She plans to write letters to government officials and start a prolife club at her school.
For Haili the most difficult part of the competition was preparation. Once she got to the competition she found herself eager to share her cause.
“It’s easier because you get that chance to impact the judges,” she said.
In her speech she used fetal models and handouts. One of the judges even asked if she could keep the props and took them home with her.
“I felt like I was impacting my peers, showing they can make a difference,” she said.
According to Jeanne, the competition was an exceptional experience for Haili. It enhanced her knowledge about the prolife movement, confidence, and willingness to speak not only to her peers about abortion, but also her elders.
“The reason most people are pro-choice are because they don’t understand. Educate people that life starts at conception and ends with natural death,” she said. “This is why it is important to advocate for the unborn.”
Haili said that she would recommend this opportunity to all prolife youth.
“Take advantage of opportunities to educate and inform people,” she said.
Haili is definitely taking every opportunity to speak up for the unborn and educate people about abortion. Her knowledge and commitment makes her already an exemplary advocate in the prolife movement at her young age.
As her elevator speech says, “Abortion is wrong. America is killing its next generation. Unborn babies can’t speak for themselves, so they need an advocate. I am that advocate.”
For more information about how you or someone you know can get involved in prolife youth advocacy, contact our state office at 616-532-2300 or e-mail us.