Vegetarian Resource Group awards two $5,000 college scholarships

Of The Vegetarian Resource Group's hundreds of projects, one of the most enjoyable is reading essays written by our scholarship entrants. It's always frustrating that we only have funding to give two awards since all of these students have so much passion and commitment.

Students are excited by this scholarship contest, as illustrated by this typical comment:

   "Every month when I go over the list of new scholarships,
   I skip most off them because the organization
   or the essay is not something I have strong feelings
   about. When my morn told me that she fouled a
   scholarship for vegetarians, I did, it think twice about
   starting it. This scholarship was different because it
   is based on something I care about and something
   that is a huge part of my life. I could talk for hours
   about being vegan but could care less about writing
   an essay on my biggest scholastic achievement...."

It's also exciting that we've seen our vegetarian scholarship among listed 'mainstream' grants, such as those given by Toyota or reserved for Girls Scouts. Awarding the scholarships is another step toward vegetarianism becoming as common as meat-eating in this country.

ABOUT THIS YEAR'S WINNERS

Scholarship recipient RICK KUMP of Florida embodies activism with almost daily promotion of vegetarianism and animal rights. Rick said he grew up with a passion for animals and a love for people. "I waved at strangers who looked sad, moved turtles from the highway, and placed worms wriggling on the pavement back into their earthly homes.... But I lived much like anyone else."

However, when writing a paper on animal rights for English class in seventh grade, Rick became a vegetarian almost instantly. He said, "My smallest sister, a 6-year-old, to the chagrin of our family, elected a vegetarian diet as well."

The last week of middle school, a teacher surprised Rick by explaining that she had fought to bestow upon him a "Most Passionate for Animal Rights" award, but the administrators did not allow her. She reminded Rick that what he fought for was controversial, but people noticed his choices, saw his passion, and admired his dedication to what he knew was right. Rick stated, "I left middle school with a 'most hilarious' award thanks to my friends and classmates, a clear sign to me that I had overcome one of the greatest struggles vegans face--how to present a serious issue without it poisoning my personality."

As an illustration of vegetarian activism in all his activities, Rick said, "I saw gold in a local forest, named the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, where I quickly became a certified trail guide. As a guide, I had access to school groups throughout the entire county and community groups of people of all ages. A quick stop in the 'hydric hammock,' where the soil is rich black with nutrients, gave me--and continues to provide me with--the chance to discuss crops and the environmental impact of a plant-based diet ..." with thousands of students and other members of the community.

Rick also started the group Teen Activists of Brevard, which he uses as a forum for putting on monthly events and obtaining newspaper and TV interviews. Rick has found several oppportunities for activism in his school, such as when a previous 9th grade teacher allowed him to speak for two entire class periods on animal rights and youth activism. A health teacher invited Rick to speak to three of her classes on the benefits of a vegan diet. Though Rick doesn't eat processed foods, he happily promoted change by pointing others towards Tofutti ice cream, Boca Burgers, vegan bean burritos at Taco Bell, and the BK Veggie at Burger King.

Zoe Weill from the International Institute for Humane Education said, "In all my years of doing humane education, having met and taught thousands of young people, I have never met anyone whom I could recommend more highly for an award or scholarship to continue the work of teaching others." Rick is also a teen advisor who regularly answers questions for Vegetarian Teen.com. One of his teachers wrote, "This young man has accomplished more as an 18-year-old than most have by the time they are 40."

Rick said, "One might say organization is my 'Achilles' heel.' Although I feel very accomplished by what I have already done and experienced in my life, often I take on so many projects at once that I lose sight of my overall goals and the best techniques to achieve them. At one point in my life, after newly discovering my place in national activism for vegetarianism and animal rights, I found myself drowning in leaflets, stickers, and information packets. I came to accept that I cannot stop the leather trade, the exotic pet trade, puppy mills, circuses, animal advertising, factory farming, dissection, vivisection, human rights violations, bullying in schools, teenage suicide, and child abuse single-handedly.

"I had to decide to stick where the most work needs to be done and where I could maximize my ability for change: working for a vegan world. I still manage to do activism for other issues when I can, but if I had not decided to focus on something, I fear I would be working for nothing. In my life now, I work to improve my organizational skills in all areas of my life, as a writer, speaker, student, and activist." One of Rick's next goals is to complete a book on health and compassion for young people.