Courtesy of Emi Glass

Responding to the Trump administration’s threat toward reproductive healthcare access, student organizers from across America gathered at Yale last weekend for Choice for Tomorrow, an intercollegiate conference. 

The two-day event, hosted by Yale Students for Reproductive Rights brought together student leaders, medical and policy experts and grassroots organizers to address growing challenges to reproductive healthcare access and to build the foundation for a long-term student-led advocacy network. According to YSRR President Jessica Yu ’26, the event was the first-ever intercollegiate conference focused on reproductive rights advocacy.

“It’s on us to defend and take back our reproductive rights,” Yu said, “because if we don’t, no one else will.”

Through keynote talks, panel discussions and interactive workshops, the conference examined the evolving reproductive rights landscape from multiple perspectives — medicine, anthropology, policy and advocacy.

Dr. Aaron Lazorwitz, an OB-GYN and professor at the School of Medicine, discussed advances in complex family planning research. Anthropologist Dr. Claudia Valeggia challenged widespread misconceptions about female reproductive health. Advocates, including New Haven’s Dr. Nathalie Bonafé, addressed overlooked issues such as menopause, while Yale doctoral candidate Natalie Hernandez examined the widening gap between public opinion and restrictive abortion laws.

“When students become advocates in reproductive health, they push themselves and others to understand how important the issues are. They prompt fundamental changes in the field in the near future, and they are forging a network of thinkers and influencers who will develop the fundamental changes in the more distant future,” Bonafé said.

Organizers said that the conference will become an annual event and the cornerstone of a new coalition that will provide a national network linking student organizations, campus leaders and advocacy groups.

According to Sooah Park ’27, the vice president of YSRR, the coalition is looking to offer training opportunities, awareness campaigns, policy summits and workshops on reproductive healthcare access. 

Additionally, the coalition will provide connections to legal experts, healthcare professionals and policymakers, aiming to strengthen student advocacy efforts. The coalition is also planning to make a digital resource hub with legal, medical and policy guidance for students who are looking to learn more about ways to protect their reproductive freedom.

“The challenges we face, legal, institutional, financial, are not isolated to one campus or one state,” said Michelle Joo, a lead organizer of the conference. 

As the conference wrapped up, students emphasized that the conversation is just beginning. Many left with new partnerships, action plans to bring back to their campuses and a renewed sense of urgency to continue their work on campus and beyond.

Aliza Kopans, a student from Brown, shared that she is excited to stay in touch with those who attended the conference.

“In a moment when so much feels uncertain and scary, the conference was grounding,” said Kopans. “The opportunity to learn from brilliant professors and researchers reinforced my belief that change can, and will, come from all angles.”

Attendees also emphasized the benefit of speaking to participants outside their own institutions.

For Ayushi Pandya, a student from Stony Brook University, the conference highlighted the diversity of experiences and motivations behind student advocacy.

“When you stay with the same people from the same school for so long, you forget not everyone thinks like you or has the same story as you,” said Pandya. “I’m very grateful for the opportunity to go outside my comfort zone and travel to Yale for this conference.”

With plans to expand the coalition, organizers are aiming to ensure that young voices remain central in shaping the future of reproductive rights.

YSRR was founded in January 2024.