CREATING A VEGAN WORLD
Emily Carter's VRG Intern Experience
My excitement for the summer peaked when I arrived at Baltimore's BWI Airport to begin my first vegan job. For weeks prior, my family was annoyed at how eager I was to be around people who share my views.
Google was my lifesaver. I found this internship through a quick search: "vegan jobs near me." The VRG internship was the first result. Prior to this, 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! One of the things I realized this summer is that a lot of the people I met created opportunities for themselves.
At the beginning, I had doubts about whether I wanted to write for a living, but this internship was the perfect opportunity for me to discover where I belonged on the spectrum of vegan activism.
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 and events. I have been able to accomplish many of my goals, and the rest are coming to fruition as I complete my internship.
While here, I helped teach a vegan cooking class at Christopher's Place employment academy, assisted in photographing food for the Greener Kitchen's menu, worked a booth at Waverly Farmers Market, did outreach at Roots VeganFest, visited a 93 year-old vegan who has been veg for 70 years, tasted amazing vegan food, and wrote about it all. 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 helped me realize the diversity of the movement and how we can make a difference wherever we are.
I networked with doctors, nutritionists, public health specialists, writers, restaurant owners, and artists. I feel more secure entering the workplace after being exposed to the variety of jobs people have veganized. Seeing the various ways vegans 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 time with The VRG equipped me with the skills and network necessary to progress my vegan career. Also, the experience of living in a city as opposed to rural Oklahoma affected me in life-changing ways. Seeing people living their dreams has inspired me to not settle. Growing up poor and Native, you are never advised to dream big but now I am considering business, medical school, or a PhD because I am aware of the power I have to make myself. I could not be more thankful for my experience at The VRG and in Baltimore.
For information about The Vegetarian Resource Group internships, see www.vrg.org/student/index.php
