Vegetarian Resource Group awards two $5,000 college scholarships

SHAKIRA CROCE of Georgia became a vegetarian at 12 years old. As she lives in the poultry capital of the world, she said her middle school cafeteria had no vegetarian options. She wrote a letter to the cafeteria manager and gathered more than 200 student and teacher signatures in a petition. Though initially resistant, the cafeteria opened a salad bar to all students and teachers, complete with a variety of raw and cooked vegetables, fresh fruit, and baked potatoes every day. The salad bar includes apples, oranges, bananas, lettuce, carrots, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, raisins, nuts, and cooked beans on a regular basis. Sometimes, the staff would add pasta salad, coleslaw, spinach, and broccoli.

Shakira felt these offerings must have worked for the Gainesville Middle School because they still offer the salad bar today. In an article in VegNews, Shakira says when trying to vegetarianize your cafeteria, be polite but firm. "When dealing with adults who have ideas that differ from yours, always have a smile on your face and speak in a nice tone of voice ... It's easier to get things done if people like you. Of course, if being nice fails, don't be afraid to organize a protest!"

Based on her earlier success, Shakira started an animal rights club in her high school, gave out samples of vegan food at lunches, set up library displays, and had more than a dozen letters and guest columns in her local newspaper. For a Meatout Day event, she had the cafeteria make up and serve vegan macaroni and cheese donated by Road's End Organics, plus items donated by Edward & Sons Trading Company and Turtle Island Foods, which makes Tofurky.

Shakira writes essays for the website Vegetarian Teen.com. Site owner Melanie Wilson states, "From the beginning she has stood out from the others as a talented young writer and a determined peaceful activist. Her poise and expression belie her years." One of Shakira's neighbors explains, "Eight out of 10 people in our area are hunters. It is hard for adults to go up against odds like that, much less a young girl. But Shakira has never wavered ... She is in our eyes an 'old soul' who has much to teach the world."

Shakira says, "I would not trade the experiences I had promoting vegetarianism for anything ... Whatever I choose to do beyond college, I will always be an activist for vegetarianism, women's rights, human rights, animal rights, and the environment; I will always take a stand for what I believe, and who knows, one day I may even convince my parents to change their eating habits."

RELATED ARTICLE: Who are vegetarian activists?

We've seen patterns in the students who apply for this scholarship. The highest percentage probably has been influenced by the animal rights movement, especially PETA, and a number are handing out Vegan Outreach literature. Another segment comes from a Seventh-day Adventist, Hindu, or Jain background. Some are very liberal, though a sizable number attend church regularly. Vegetarians and vegans vary as much in their beliefs as the rest of the population.