Creating A Vegan World
Anna Markulis
Loyola University of Maryland Student VRG Internship
As a senior at Loyola University Maryland majoring in Communications and minoring in Environmental Studies, I was tasked with finding an internship combining these two fields in the Baltimore area. The Vegetarian Resource Group did just that. Not only did I get to experience the kind of writing and communication work I'd expect in a professional job setting, I had the opportunity to connect with some amazing people from around the world, and feel as though I made some sort of positive impact on nature, animals, and the environment by helping such a great organization.
The first project I was tasked with was reviewing a local vegan restaurant of my choice. My little sister and I made a fun trip out of it, and visited the restaurant at MOM's Organic Market. We tried the vegan veggie sandwich, which ended up being one of the best sandwiches my sister and I had ever eaten! In addition to assisting with VRG's online restaurant guide, I was also sent vegan snacks in the mail to review for "Veggie Bits" in Vegan Journal.
One of my short term goals was to finally try out a recipe from Linda McCartney's vegan cookbook, and I ended up being able to cook and review a vegan gingerbread recipe for a project. I even learned a bit about copyright rules while writing my review.
I was also given the chance to read and respond to high school seniors' VRG scholarship entries, which gave me a deeper look into why young people today are deciding to eat a plant-based diet. It was so interesting to get that insight into the amazing activism everyone is capable of. A surprising trend I noticed among the essays was that most students are going veggie for the environment! Charles Stahler, one of VRG's founders, let me read scholarship essays from 20 years ago to compare students' motives and write a blog post about it. I also was able to showcase my love for graphic design and created a poster to promote the VRG's scholarship contest.
Additionally, I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Simon Brown, a former philosophy professor at Johns Hopkins University, to discuss animal consciousness, and how our misconceptions have altered the way we view ourselves, animals, and nature. Charles also gave me the opportunity to speak with a German exchange student, and we compared the attitudes towards the environment of young people in Germany and America.
One of my favorite experiences of the internship was being able to participate in Loyola's Earth Day event. I gave away Vegan Journal magazines, flyers, and buttons, and it was such a great way to celebrate Earth Day and promote veganism.
For information about VRG internships, see vrg.org/student/index.php
To support VRG internships, scholarships, and youth outreach, donate at vrg.org/donate
