By Emily Carter
My excitement for the summer peaked when I arrived at Baltimore’s BWI Airport in the middle of June to begin my first ever vegan job. The corners of my smile were as acute as a folded page in the Vegetarian Journal. For the weeks prior, my family was getting annoyed at me for how excited I was to finally be around people who share some of my views. (Oklahoma is not too kind to vegans, by the way.) Don’t get me wrong, they were still happy for me! This is what I had been looking forward to all semester; I was eager to begin turning my compassion into action. At the beginning, I had doubts about whether I wanted to write for a living, but this internship held the perfect opportunity for me to discover where I belonged on the spectrum of vegan activism.
Google is my lifesaver. I found this internship through a quick search: “vegan jobs near me.” The VRG internship was the first result. Prior to this internship, I did marine biology and freshwater ecology research. I knew I wanted a job that focused on veganism, I just did not know where to begin! It is not every day you stumble into a vegan job market and have options! One of the things I realized this summer is that a lot of the people I met created opportunities for themselves.
My goals coming into this internship were to gain exposure to vegan activism and careers, network with organizations, interact with a developed vegan community, contribute to vegan research and publication, as well as engage with the Baltimore community about research, events, and how to get involved. So far, I have been able to accomplish many of my goals, and the rest are coming to fruition as I complete the last two weeks of this internship.
While here, I helped teach a vegan cooking class at Christopher’s Place employment academy, aided in photographing food for the Greener Kitchen’s menu, worked a booth at Waverly farmers market, did outreach at Roots Vegan Fest, visited a 93-year old vegan who has been vegan for 70 years, tasted amazing vegan food, and wrote all about it. Before I leave, I will have also attended a national animal rights conference and Vegan SoulFest. Never in my life have I been able to interact with so many vegans. It has helped me realize the diversity of the movement and how we can make a difference wherever we are.
I have networked with doctors, nutritionists, public health specialists, writers, restaurant owners, and food photographers. I feel more secure entering the workplace after being exposed to the variety of jobs people have veganized. It is inspiring to see people sculpt their love for animals and environment into infrastructure that will reach many people and save lives. Seeing the various ways vegans have positioned themselves in the movement, and how they shaped their career to make a living while saving lives has been the most valuable experience for me.
My experience at the VRG equipped me with the skills and network necessary to progress my vegan career. Also, the experience of living in a city for a summer as opposed to rural Oklahoma affected me in life-changing ways. Seeing people living their dreams because they have resources in the city has inspired me to not settle for anything. If you can dream it, you can be it! This is something my small town failed to teach me. Growing up poor and Native, you are never advised to dream big because it was never in the cards for you. Now I am considering business, medical school, or a PhD because I am now aware of the power I have to make myself. I could not be more thankful for my experience at the VRG and in Baltimore. As I prepare to leave, I am happy knowing I am fueled for a future in whatever arena I choose!
For information about The Vegetarian Resource Group internships, see https://www.vrg.org/student/index.php
To support The Vegetarian Resource Group internships and vegan education, donate at www.vrg.org/donate