By Ivy Grob<\/p>\n
Julie Andrews once said, “Sometimes opportunities float right past your
\nnose. Work hard, apply yourself, and be ready. When an opportunity comes
\nyou can grab it.”<\/p>\n
When I first got the email from Charles Stahler back in January about a
\npossible internship in Baltimore with The Vegetarian Resource Group, I
\nwas overwhelmed with the possibility. Lots of circumstances were unsure,
\nbut one thing stood out as definite in my mind; this was an opportunity
\nthat I could not let pass me by. Plans became final as emails were
\nexchanged back and forth and it was decided that I would be the 2015
\nrecipient of the Eleanor Wolff Scholarship. My heart was overrun with
\njoy that it would actually be feasible for me to travel from Florida
\nbecause of the kindness from the donors of the scholarship. And as the
\nspring semester of my first year of college ended and summer finally
\narrived, opportunity transformed into reality.<\/p>\n
My first day at the VRG office was a full orientation to the operation
\nof a non-profit, grassroots organization. I was stimulated by
\nconversation about my environmental interests, and my learning
\nexperience began right away as I was informed about many environmental
\norganizations that I didn\u2019t know existed. I felt very behind the curve
\nabout current issues, but as my nerves calmed I realized I should not be
\nembarrassed, as I was here to learn and soak up as much information as I
\ncould. I was endowed with an armful of VRG literature and cookbooks (a
\nperk to every intern) and I began right away on my assigned projects. <\/p>\n
The VRG office is an environment that I had never encountered before in
\nmy professional life; everyone is very laid back and the schedule of the
\nday is up to you. I learned quickly that this can be a blessing or a
\ncurse but I was determined to finish each article in a timely fashion.
\nThe VRG caters the topics of the articles you write to your interests,
\nso with my major being Environmental Science, I wrote my projects based
\naround this background. My assignments included a Teen FAQ about
\nstarting a composting club for environmental benefits and how it relates
\nto promoting vegetarianism; how to do a vegan class at a Girls Inc.; and
\nan article exploring whether or not the dining options at my school, The
\nUniversity of Florida, were truly vegan friendly. Aside from these
\nlarger pieces, I also wrote environmental questions for the vegetarian
\ngame, restaurant guide posts and restaurant reviews, and Veggie Bits for
\nthe Vegetarian Journal. These were especially fun to write, and gave me
\ngood practice with contacting representatives in a professional manner
\nin order to request new vegan products. I tried everything from vegan
\nfood coloring and nail polish to macaroons and vegan meatballs.<\/p>\n
I had the opportunity to see the city of Baltimore and to experience my
\nfirst VegFest in Richmond, Virginia by working outreach booths. This
\nwas my favorite part of my internship, and it was incredible to see how
\nvast the vegan community really is. Even to those who were not vegan or
\nvegetarian, I was able to have fruitful and civilized conversations with
\nmany people, and to those individuals not willing or ready to make permanent
\nchanges, I was able to offer suggestions to help them in their daily
\nlives. The VRG strives to be a positive presence for vegans and
\nnon-vegans alike, and I\u2019m glad I got to participate and see this
\nfirsthand at the booths.<\/p>\n
Most of all throughout this internship, I have had the opportunity to
\ngrow into a vegan activist that I didn\u2019t previously know existed within
\nme. By working in an environment of such like-minded people, I never
\nhave to worry about stepping on anyone\u2019s toes by expressing my vegan
\nbeliefs. Before this internship, I thought being vegan just meant you
\nchange your diet and the fabric of your clothes, but now I see it as so
\nmuch more. Every time you choose a vegan meal, you are choosing to be an
\nactivist, you are choosing a healthy environment, and you are choosing
\nto save the life of an animal. As with any important revelation in your
\nlife, you want to have other people have the same passionate
\nunderstanding as you. This internship has compelled me to share my vegan
\nbeliefs with others, and has made me realize how important it is to
\nshare as so many people still don\u2019t know what vegan means. I\u2019m truly
\ngrateful to The VRG for this opportunity, and I will continue to promote
\nveganism for the rest of my life.<\/p>\n
For information about The Vegetarian Resource Group internships, see: To support The Vegetarian Resource Group outreach, donate at:
\nhttps:\/\/www.vrg.org\/student\/index.php<\/a><\/p>\n
\nhttps:\/\/www.givedirect.org\/give\/givefrm.asp?CID=1565<\/a><\/p>\n