Alumni Profile: Autumn Christensen ’00

Autumn Christensen ’00 is one alumna who exemplifies dedication and service through her work. Shortly after graduating from Covenant, Autumn moved to Washington D.C., hoping to make a difference on Capitol Hill. Today, she’s the vice president of public policy for Susan B. Anthony List, a non-profit organization that works to end abortion in the United States. 

From an early age, Autumn had a desire to work in politics, and she had the opportunity to serve as a U.S. Senate page while in high school. Then, she double majored in history and business at Covenant with a minor in economics. Covenant’s education challenged her, and she credits her Sociology of Health class in particular for setting the foundation for her work today. Her experience as student body president was also significant, but even more importantly, the relationships she made while at Covenant shaped her. Autumn still maintains strong friendships with some of her Covenant friends, meeting every Labor Day to reconnect and spend time together. 

Six months after graduating, Autumn moved to D.C. with the hopes of landing a job on Capitol Hill. She worked nights and weekends as a waitress and spent her days making connections and finding public policy work. She landed a position working for a Florida congressman which is how she got to know the director of the pro-life caucus who encouraged her to apply to become the next director. Then, after 15 years on Capitol Hill, Autumn left “the hill” to take a position at the Susan B. Anthony List.

Autumn spends her days writing pro-life legislation, developing strategies, and reviewing legislation through the lens of pro-life policy. She oversees the federal policy team and is the director of Her PLAN, a non-profit that works to build a pro-life safety net for women and families vulnerable to abortion. Her PLAN does this by connecting and supporting organizations that meet the needs of pregnant and parenting women so their clients can benefit from specialized referrals for life-affirming support across seven categories of care. Autumn says, “It is a huge blessing to be involved with programs that uplift women who heroically bring life to the world despite their fear that doing so may limit their opportunities. It is our hope that, with a strong support system, they will both carry to term and pursue their dreams.”

Reflecting on her Covenant experience and how it’s carried into her life and career, Autumn greatly appreciates Covenant’s dedication to service. She says this is practiced by every freshman through the Mark 10:45 Program, our practical service program. Autumn washed dishes in the Great Hall her freshman year, and through this servanthood practice, she learned that Covenant’s values stand out from the world’s values. She believes the fact that every incoming student practices service is a wonderful reflection of our duty as Christians. We are called to serve no matter who we are or how the world defines our status, and for Autumn, that means working at Susan B. Anthony List to serve those who cannot advocate for themselves.