Melissa Reina, Sophomore

The March for Life was really a four day pilgrimage.  We attended with other members of the Archdiocese of Chicago and other college students from the Chicago area.  The whole experience completely exceeded my expectations.  It truly was a pilgrimage, from beginning to end.  Especially for me, as a commuter student, I was anxious about spending four days with a whole group of people that I didn't know very well and all of a sudden spending over 30 hours on a bus, a night in a hotel, marching, and site-seeing.  The bus ride was uncomfortable and we were exhausted at the end of each day, but I knew that this pilgrimage was not intended to be glamorous and what was important was what brought us all there together: to defend life.

It was an experience of a lifetime and I am so grateful to God and to everyone who made it possible.  Because of this pilgrimage, I'm certain I will be participating and seeking out more friendships amongst members of the Newman Center.  I hope and pray that these opportunities and events continue here at UIC's Newman Center because they are a great source of refuge, per se, in a secular university, to find a Catholic center so involved and alive with the faith!

To View March For Life Event Pictures Click Here.