I was raised as a vegetarian for cultural reasons, but still used and consumed other animal products. In the summer after 6th grade, I was reflecting on human cruelty towards animals and realized that other animal products could be harmful to them too. I made the decision to switch. My parents became vegan, too, to support me, and two years later my sister also made the switch.

In the summer after seventh grade, I completed a training to become a Climate Reality Leader. As part of my leadership activities, I created a presentation about the environmental impact of methane, focusing on how agriculture contributes to climate issues, launched a 7-day “no meat” challenge in my neighborhood, and advertised it through the community newspaper.

In ninth grade I created 30 short videos addressing a different environmental impact of animal agriculture and advocating veganism. In 10th grade, I joined Cool Irvine, volunteering to lead the plant-based diet booth at the Cool Irvine Sustainability Fair. I created an infographic explaining why a vegan lifestyle to distribute to Fair visitors. By 11th grade, I was encouraging plant-based options as part of my school’s actions in the Cool Irvine High School Green Challenge, in which our team placed 2nd in the city. The next year I completed an internship with The Vegetarian Resource Group, where I contributed to their online veggie restaurant guide that lists locations offering vegan options, and interviewed former and current interns. I reviewed interns’ collected data on nutrition information for 79 plant-based milk products and collected my own for coconut milks, with which I did statistical analysis for the organization’s research.

In college I plan to pursue environmental science and restore damaged habitats. My love for animals and nature are inseparable, and I will carry both passions with me in college.

Support Young Veg Activists
To send support for additional scholarships and internships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate or call (410) 366-8343. You can also send a donation to VRG, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

Do you know an amazing high school student who promoted veganism? If so, let them know about our annual scholarship contest. The deadline for high school seniors is February 20th of each year. To see scholarship rules and past winners, visit www.vrg.org/student/scholar