Christian Teen Wins Pro-Life Essay Contest With Excellent Paper

PULSE Life Advocates has named Lydia Parlee, a senior at Grand View Christian School in Des Moines, Iowa, as the recipient of its first-ever $10,000 PULSE Pro-Life Scholarship.

Launched in 2025, the scholarship was created to invest in the next generation of pro-life leaders by recognizing students who demonstrate strong academic achievement, Christian character, and a clear commitment to defending the sanctity of human life.

Applicants were required to submit three letters of recommendation, high school transcripts, and an original essay responding to the prompt: “Is it ethical for Christians to advocate for laws that restrict abortion?”

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According to PULSE Life Advocates, 40 applications were reviewed by a six-member committee through a three-phase evaluation process. After the second phase, six finalists were selected for additional review by a separate three-member team.

The first phase of scoring focused on application completeness, faith and character references, community involvement, and academic excellence. The second and third phases evaluated the submitted essays for alignment with pro-life beliefs, depth of reasoning, persuasiveness, biblical integration, clarity, and authenticity.

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Organizers said the quality of submissions exceeded expectations, making the final decision especially difficult.

Parlee ultimately stood out for both her academic accomplishments and the strength of her pro-life convictions.

She holds a cumulative GPA of 4.5 and has been active in athletics, school leadership, and community organizations. A classically trained violinist, she also volunteers regularly and has built her own photography business while completing high school.

This fall, she plans to attend Hillsdale College, where she will pursue a bachelor’s degree in politics with a minor in journalism.

Her letters of recommendation highlighted both her academic excellence and her unwavering commitment to life.

One recommender noted that as a freshman, “her paper was remarkable enough to be featured in a pro-life publication.” Another wrote that she is “one of the greatest students to ever graduate from our institution.” A third shared, “Lydia and I have had many conversations over the past few years that have demonstrated her deep convictions for the sanctity of life, not only for the unborn, but also for all human beings made in the image of God.”

Her winning essay reflected those convictions from beginning to end.

Parlee argued that abortion is not only a political issue, but a moral and biblical one requiring Christian engagement. She challenged the idea that believers should avoid influencing public policy, writing that laws themselves reflect moral standards and that Christians should not remain passive when human life is at stake. She pointed to Scripture’s call to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves” and framed advocacy for the unborn as a necessary responsibility for Christians.

Drawing comparisons to past moral atrocities, including the Holocaust, she urged Christians to remember history and defend the vulnerable rather than remain silent in the face of injustice. She wrote that “it can only ever be right to restrain evil, and promote good among fellow citizens,” arguing that protecting unborn children is both an ethical and biblical duty.

Parlee concluded her essay with this statement:

“It is time for Christians to decide that they care more about what God considers evil than how the world defines it, that they fear the consequences of disobeying a Holy God than of opposing a hostile culture.”

PULSE Life Advocates said her essay fully met the criteria established by the committee and exemplified the scholarship’s mission to equip and encourage future pro-life advocates.

Her full winning essay is available on the PULSE Life Advocates website.

As the first recipient of the scholarship, Parlee represents the kind of conviction, excellence, and courage PULSE hopes to support for years to come.

LifeNews Note: Andrea Trudden serves as the Vice President of Communications & Marketing at Heartbeat International, overseeing the public presence of the organization and its network of more than 3,600 pregnancy help organizations worldwide. This column originally appeared at Pregnancy Help News.

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