LifeDate Fall 2023 – How to Use Your Gospel-Motivated Voice For Life
Photo above: (l-r) Kate Roberts, Michelle Bauman, Cori Meier, Claire Rae Meier at the 2023 LWML National Convention in Milwaukee.
Y4Life is so excited to welcome an intern to our LFL family this summer, and we thought you might like to get to know her, too! Check out her answers to our interview questions below!
Can you tell us a little about your family and where you grew up?
Kate: I was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, when my dad was at seminary, but we moved to Tennessee when I was two! My family currently lives in Maryville, right outside of Knoxville. We are blessed to live near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and we spend lots of time there swimming and hiking. I am the oldest of three, and we recently adopted my youngest brother out of foster care.
What degree are you working toward in college?
Kate: I am currently attending Concordia University Wisconsin earning my degree in General Business with a minor in Christian Thought. The business program is super flexible, so I am focusing on a lot of non-profit management classes.
What led you to want to work for Y4Life?
Kate: I’ve been involved in the pro-life movement for the past five years, and my future career goals involve working for a pro-life nonprofit! I had the opportunity to help Michelle with the Y4Life conference in DC in January and really enjoyed it. The Y4Life internship was the perfect opportunity for me to work for an organization that aligns with my passions and beliefs and see the inner workings of a nonprofit organization. Attending public school growing up, I got a lot of push-back for being vocal about my pro-life beliefs. I love that Y4Life encourages students across the country to become more educated about life issues, connect with one another, and help strengthen their ability to be vocal about issues from a Gospel-motivated perspective.
What areas of life ministry are you most passionate about?
Kate: I am most passionate about abortion, foster care, and adoption. Those three are the most personal to me, but I recognize how interconnected all life issues are. The more our society disregards the value of human life, the more problems we have in all areas. I also am very passionate about crisis pregnancy help and have had the privilege to do a lot of volunteering at my local pregnancy resource center.
Have you always had a passion for upholding life, or was there a specific instance that led you to be a Gospel-motivated voice For Life?
Kate: I always was interested in life issues and grew up going to the local March for Life and different Right to Life events. My freshman year of high school, my biology teacher asked us to give speeches for or against embryonic stem cell research. I was one of two in my class of thirty who upheld the sanctity of life and was mocked mercilessly for it. That moment was really eye-opening for me, realizing how many people around me didn’t have the same beliefs I did. It was after that when I started becoming very vocal about my beliefs and dived into a lot of research about life issues and got started in the pro-life movement.
Not everyone agrees that human life is sacred. How do you handle opposition to this truth when you encounter it, especially among your peers?
Kate: The first thing I try to do is pause for a moment and pray for whomever I am interacting with, especially when we are disagreeing, as well as pray that the Holy Spirit guides my words in a way that makes them clear and also God-honoring. One of my favorite verses is Proverbs 28:1, “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” Being bold in your convictions but treating the person you are interacting with as a precious child of God is the best thing to do. I try to stay updated on my knowledge of life issues and be prepared for opposition, but it’s okay to not have the answers to every question. It is frustrating, and even hurtful, when disagreeing with peers, but resting in the knowledge that God may be using you as a vessel in these hard conversations and that, ultimately, He is in control, granting us a peace that the world cannot give, is the best comfort after hard interactions.
Okay, now it’s time for some favorites. What is your favorite …
Bible verse?
Kate: Joshua 1:9
Hobby?
Kate: Reading, hiking, baking, and going to concerts
Food?
Kate: Chicken fried rice with orange chicken.
Podcast?
Kate: It really depends on my mood, but my current favorite is SHE with Jordan Lee Dooley, which talks a lot about faith, health, business, adoption/foster care, and clean living.
Influencer?
Kate: Allie Beth Stuckey! I love her passion, clarity, research, and scriptural references when conveying her opinions.
Music?
Kate: The Avett Brothers are my all-time favorite band, but I love anything Americana or country.
Television series?
Kate: The Office or New Girl!