The Vegetarian Resource Group 2018 college scholarship winner Natalia Gosiaco reports that her first semester was great. “I have been meeting so many new people involved within the vegan community, and San Diego State has given me so many opportunities to further pursue my passions. I joined the Voice for Veg animal rights club a few weeks into school, as soon as I found out about it. I attend the meetings once a week, along with events that we do. Such events include outreach, educational seminars, supporting campaigns, and making merchandise, all to promote animal rights and veganism. I also got the opportunity to do a ten minute speech in my communications class this semester, and I chose to address why I do not drink cow’s milk, and why no one ever should. The speech went very well and I got a lot of positive feedback and questions. Many people told me they weren’t about to drink milk after listening to what I had to say.”

“This semester, I also reached out to the head of Sodexo at my old high school to check in with the vegan options being made available for students. She and I talked for a while, and she assured me that she is continuing to provide vegan options every day. She also told me that the vegan options are often a hit and sell out before the other dish! I told her that I am grateful for her persistence to incorporate meals that accommodate for everyone, and that I am always just a phone call or email away. I continue to email her ideas I have of easy vegan meal options, or grab and go snacks.

“I am continuing to work at the Lovin Oven, a 100% vegan pizza restaurant. Working as a server gives me a great platform to talk to customers about veganism and why I am vegan. It helps that they’re eating delicious vegan food too!”

For information about Natalia’s activism, see: https://www.vrg.org/blog/2018/05/10/hawaiian-student-receives-10000-vegetarian-resource-group-college-scholarship/

The next deadline for high school seniors for $20,000 in scholarships from The Vegetarian Resource Group is February 20, 2019. See:
https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm