Our Staff

Terrisa Bukovinac
Founder

  • Terrisa is an atheist, leftist, and the Founder of Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU). She formerly founded Pro-Life San Francisco and is the former President of Democrats for Life of America. Terrisa also serves as Vice President of Secular Pro-Life, and on the Board of Directors for Let them Live and Rehumanize International. Terrisa graduated at the top of her class from Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts and has over 15 years experience in business and team management with several fortune 500 companies. She has been arrested multiple times and spent time in jail for leading peaceful civil disobedience actions in and around abortion businesses. Terrisa has also participated in direct actions for various social justice movements from animal rights to death penalty abolition. Her efforts have been featured in every major media outlet including the New York Times, Washington Post, NBC, NPR, BBC, ABC, CBS, Fox News, Rolling Stone and the Christian Post. She resides in Dupont Circle, Washington DC, with her two cats.

  • You can find Terrisa on social media @terrisalin

Caroline Taylor Smith
Executive Director

  • Caroline Taylor Smith is a progressive pro-life advocate, and the Executive Director for Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU). Caroline has worked for Protect Life Michigan, the University of Notre Dame, and volunteers with Democrats for Life of Michigan. She holds degrees in both Strategic Communication and French from Calvin University and has lived in both France and England. Caroline has championed the use of abortion victim imagery in the contemporary pro-life movement and has been arrested for peacefully and nonviolently defending the unborn through direct action, as well as featured in POLITICO, Christian New Agency, Washington Post, The Pillar, and more. She has traveled to more than 20 countries and resides in Washington, D.C. with her cat, Chica.

  • You can find Caroline on social media @CarolineTayLife.

  • Join Caroline’s team of supporters: LINK

Lauren Handy
Director of Activism and Mutual Aid

  • Lauren is a queer Catholic, anarcho-mutualist, prison abolitionist, and is the Director of Activism for the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising. In 2017, she founded Mercy Missions, a mutual aid organization dedicated to helping families and moms in crisis pregnancies and providing survival aid for houseless people. She has a long history of working with various activist organizations across the country and has served as a leader in the Red Rose Rescue movement since its inception. Her anti-abortion work has taken her to over 100 abortion businesses across 32 states and she has helped over 800 families choose life through her LGBTQ+ inclusive sidewalk advocacy efforts. Through her nonviolent direct action efforts across multiple human rights movements, Lauren has been arrested more than 30 times and served time in jail, living out her convictions for serving pregnant people behind bars. Her passions also include housing justice, harm reduction outreach, and studying Reproductive Justice scholars. Her work has been covered in every major media outlet including the New York Times, Washington Post, The Cut, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox News, Epoch Times, VICE News, Rolling Stone and World Magazine. She lives in Washington D.C. where she is on a mission to pet every cat in the city.

  • You can find Lauren on social media @repreaux

  • Join Lauren’s team of supporters: LINK

Constance Becker
Executive Coordinator

  • Constance is a youthful Prolife activist who makes sure to occupy space as a black & Indigenous woman and abuse survivor. Originally starting out as an activist in High school, she’s highly involved in her social media pages promoting empathy to all struggles, consistent life ethics, and showing others that any anybody can—and should be pro-life. She is a mom, protest organizer, Pro-life speaker and doula. She hopes to radically change the world and fight for those who cannot speak.

  • You can find Constance on social media as @noapologiesprolife

  • Join Constance's team of supporters: LINK

Lauren Threlkeld
Content Manager

  • Lauren is a research writer, artist, progressive, and content manager at PAAU. She graduated from the University of Oregon, where she was a member of Carnegie Global Oregon and earned a B.A. in Sociology with concentrations in culture, identities, and institutions. Through uncovering causes of adverse prognoses in individuals affected by eating disorders as shaped by medical research gaps, she strengthened her insight into the paradoxes of individual and collective responsibility in mental health care and beyond. From her work in the field of eating disorder research and prevention to her writings on animal ethics and ethology, Lauren advocates for the holistic embracing of life. She promotes universal healthcare and childcare, increased living wages, child tax credits, free childbirth, foster care reformation, and increased accessibility to adoption services.

  • You can find Lauren on social media as @la.threlkeld

  • Join Lauren’s team of supporters: LINK

Ephriam Manna
Intern

  • Ephraim Manna is a driven young individual who hails from Paterson, New Jersey, where his early exposure to social issues and a strong sense of justice propelled him toward a life dedicated to advocating for the protection of life in all its forms. Ephraim's educational journey has taken him through an array of diverse experiences, from undergraduate studies in theology to volunteer work with various humanitarian organizations. His passion for social justice and his deep-seated belief in the consistent life ethic have shaped his academic and personal pursuits.

  • You can find Ephriam on social media as @groovyprolifer

  • Join Ephriam’s team of supporters: LINK

Avie Sark
Content Creator

  • Avie is a queer, consistent life Democrat, teen content creator and organizer. She is the president of Democrats For Life of Indiana, the president of Mission For Life, and is a digital content creator for Pro-Life LGBTQ. Avie has participated in a number of human rights movements including the abolition of the death penalty and gun control. She has been featured in local publications such as the Indy Star and Campus Citizen. Avie lives in Noblesville, Indiana with her family and her dog, Mochi.

  • You can find Avie on social media as @avieraee.life

Allison Menck
Content Creator

  • Allison is an artist, graphic designer, and a content creator for PAAU. She is currently pursuing a BFA in Sequential Art from Savannah College of Art and Design, and after she graduates she intends to go into the animation industry and tell stories that remind people their lives are worth living and all life is valuable. She runs the @prolifewildflowers page on instagram, and her mission is to make the world a better place through art.

  • You can find Allison social media as @prolifewildflowers

Our Organizers

Elise Ketch
Organizer/Content Designer

  • Elise is a queer woman, progressive leftist, illustrator, designer, writer and Design Specialist for Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts and a certificate in Human-Centered Design from the top art school in the nation: Virginia Commonwealth University. There, Elise was the Diversity & Inclusion representative for the University’s Honors College after serving on the Dean's Diversity Board. Elise has been a regular contributor to, and consultant for, the Secular Pro-Life Blog and has been the key curator for the blog: Secular Pro-Life Conspectus. She is best known for her 2022 zine, "A Young, Femme, Gay Leftist Handed You this Pro-Life Zine" and her online disability rights campaigns. Elise has organized for Rent Strike Richmond, has advocated for the tearing down of Confederate statues, and has painted a protest mural in the Richmond area. Elise’s work has been featured in Style Weekly, Fox News, VICE News, Daily Signal, SCOTUS Blog, and more: She now lives in Washington D.C. with her cat.

  • You can find Elise on social media as @antipersonhood

Melanie Salazar
PAAU Ahora Organizer

  • Melanie is a Catholic, proud Chicana from San Antonio Texas, vegetarian, feminist, roller skater, fertility awareness advocate, and new wife. She earned her bachelors in Communication with double minors in Spanish and Civic Engagement from the University of Texas at San Antonio Honors College. Melanie began pro-life advocacy by refounding and leading her university pro-life group. While in college, she studied abroad in Germany, served the houseless community at a Catholic Worker House, worked at a maternity home as a translator for immigrant teen moms, interned for a foster care youth success program, moved to DC to advocate for the confirmation of Justice Barrett, and door knocked, testified, and lobbied in favor of pro-life first policies and politicians. She has previously worked for Students for Life of America, Students for Life Action, and as a sidewalk activist with the San Antonio Coalition For Life. Melanie has also been trained in pro-life apologetics through Justice For All. Her work led her into the international pro-life fight where she co-founded and remains on the board of Pro-Life Global. Melanie has trained students and leaders in Australia, Uganda, Guatemala, Jamaica, Colombia, and Bolivia. She has been featured in BBC, Vice, New York Times, and ABC Nightline. She resides in Austin Texas with her husband Jerry and two dogs Manolo and Munckin.

  • You can find Melanie on social media as @melaniesalazara

Braedon Eckert
Organizer

  • Braedon is a Catholic teen high school activist and organizer. After entering the foster care system as a young child and later adopted Braedon became an advocate for foster children as well as those targeted for abortion. He is a former State Captain with Students For Life of America, a prayer partner with Sidewalk Advocates for Life, a featured speaker at the Rehumanize International March for Life meetup, and the Indiana March for Life. Braedon has helped organize events for Indy Strike for Climate Action as well as Moms Demand Action. He has been featured in CNN, Fox News and the Indy Star. He currently lives in Indiana with his family.

  • You can find Braedon on social media as @braedon.life

Sonja Morin
Organizer

  • Sonja Morin is a Catholic, consistent life ethic advocate, and Graphic Design Coordinator for Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, currently pursuing a BA in Graphic Design at University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. Sonja serves on the Board of Directors for Massachusetts Citizens for Life, has previously worked with several established pro-life organizations including Students for Life of America, Consistent Life Network, Rehumanize Int’l, Holy Name Respect Life Committee, and Boston Pro-Life Future. She graduated top ten in her high school and has made Dean’s List and Honors College at University. Sonja is also the recipient of the Pope Pius X Youth Award. Her efforts have been featured in major news outlets such as USA Today, Live Action news and more. She currently resides in the Boston area with her cat Zippie.

  • You can find Sonja on social media as @couervivant