Maggie Salter started on her path to vegetarianism at ten years old, as she started learning about the “secrets hidden behind pristinely packaged animal products.”

In her freshman year of high school, she became part of an animal rights club. Then she and others in the club met students from a different high school with similar interests. Maggie said, “We were all strangers, connected only by our passion for animals and a hope to be part of something bigger than ourselves.” Because they felt there was a lack of support for young people, they came together and formed Youth for the Voiceless. Maggie was co-chair of the communications team. Maggie stated, “From going to animal rights marches and protests – and being the only person there under 30 … it was obvious we had a job to do as young adults and advocates to fill the gap.”

The advisor to the club said, “Without question, Maggie, a Youth For the Voiceless co-founder and board member, has served an absolutely crucial role in the evolution, growth, and increased momentum of this public charity. Simply said, YFV would not be where it is today without her … Whether tasked with determining best social media practices for a new non-profit to engaging in a conversation about how to most effectively conduct youth outreach, Maggie tackles every challenge with both logic and creativity, a rare combination and a true illustration of Maggie’s incredible aptitude.”

One of Maggie’s insights was when she went to her first vigil over the summer where they were bearing witness for cows on their way to slaughter. She stated, “All I can remember was watching all these activists with the best intentions run up to the truck, trying to get up to the front to take pictures and videos… It actually began to remind me of a zoo. I know these pictures and videos were to document the animals’ suffering, the hands poking through the bars were all intended to show compassion, and all the tears shed were out of love, but these animals had already been through so much, and they’ve only known the worst of humans. So isn’t it reasonable to believe they’d be afraid of us? Now don’t get me wrong. I didn’t write this to take anything away from bearing witness or the activists that go because they are genuinely some of the strongest people out there, but when done in the wrong ways, I think we can accidentally cause more distress than comfort … I write this “to show that we might not all have the same experience, and that we might not all take away the same thing … You can’t base what you’re supposed to feel or think on someone else’s experience. Take everything with a grain of salt because it’s okay to feel things differently from someone else. Lastly, I just want you to remember we are there for the animals … so we need … to not get wrapped up in what we think we’re supposed to be doing.”

Because of organizing vegan taste tests at her high school for non vegetarian/vegan kids to see how good vegan food really can be, and her experiences in Youth For the Voiceless, creating content, helping to design the website, and working on their social media presence, Maggie hopes to continue being part of the movement after college by studying communications. She says, “This scholarship would help me pursue my dreams to continue being an activist for years to come and allow me to get an education that can help me achieve my goals.”

The deadline for the next Vegetarian Resource Group scholarship contest for high school seniors is February 20, 2019. For more information, please see VRG Scholarship Contest

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 Donate to The Vegetarian Resource Group; mail to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203; or
call (410) 366-8343.