In 2009, 12-year-old Lia Mills wowed the pro-life community with a simple YouTube video of her school speech about abortion.

Lia spoke so articulately and passionate about protecting life that her video immediately spread across the globe. Watch it here.

“What if I told you that, right now, someone was choosing if you were going to live or die?” she says in the video. “Thousands of children are right now in that very situation. That someone is their mother. And that choice is abortion.”

Today, her video has more than 2.4 million views on YouTube, but her impact has been so much more than mere numbers.

According to a 2012 article in Toronto Life, Lia has received many “thank you” notes from pregnant women who watched her video and decided not to have an abortion. She also travels throughout the U.S. and Canada speaking and inspiring thousands of pro-lifers.

Lia’s exceptional story is an example of why our organization hosts an annual Pro-Life Oratory Contest for students. We believe in encouraging young people to use their voice for life. When young people speak up with passion and sincerity, people listen, and babies and their moms are spared from the pain of abortion.

Our contest is open to students in 9th to 12th grades. Students must write their own original speeches on the topic of abortion, euthanasia, or stem cell research, videotape the speech, and submit it to us by April 15, 2015. For details, email lifelines@paprolife.org or click here.

Please encourage students you know to participate. Like Lia, they can make a big impact for life!