At 13, after Elise Donovan went to a restaurant with her dad, and saw “pig carcasses,” she decided to become a vegetarian. She then entered an eighth grade essay contest, “putting more hours into that essay than any homework assignment I had ever completed.” Her hard work paid off and she had the opportunity to present a speech on vegetarianism to her whole school at an assembly in the final month of her 8th-grade year.

Elise said, “I took to my next task: providing more options for vegetarians. Having grown up with an involved mom who packed my lunches almost every day, I was not often restricted to a non-personal defined menu. This was not the case for a large majority of kids at my school, so I made the executive decision to contact my principal to institute veggie burgers as a daily staple for those hoping to make a meatless choice. With the help of PETA, I worked to craft an email that expressed my concern with the options in the cafeteria … Veggie Burgers were added to my middle school menu. While I was only there for a year to see the effect, I received some statistics from my food coordinator. Initially the veggie burgers were not received well due to younger kids’ usual distaste for new foods, but they have since extended their menu. Apart from veggie burgers there are … salads and different sandwiches provided daily. Additionally, a vegan/vegetarian main meal is sold daily as an entrée, which sells at around 10 meals daily. While still low, it is a great step in the right direction since the lack of options when I attended.”

Elise continued, “I aided the cafeteria at my high school with a daily vegan station, fully equipped with vegan-friendly soups, sandwiches, and meals … Everyday there is a vegan special announced, and it has since attracted many people. These meals range from eggplant and vegan cheese sandwiches, to tofu and vegetable stir-fry, and much more. Statistically, my food director told me that they sell over 25 meals a day, with some particular meals selling over 50 every day. To institute this new subsection of our menu, some other classmates and I in my student council expressed our want for more options, and were given the opportunity to taste test different meals.”

In college Elise hopes to study International Relations and Environmental Studies.

The deadline for the next Vegetarian Resource Group scholarship contest for high school seniors is February 20, 2019. For more information, please see https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

Over 300 students have entered the scholarship contest this year. In our mind, all are winners. If you would like to sponsor additional scholarships of any amount, please donate at www.vrg.org/donate; mail to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203; or call (410) 366-8343.