I have been a vegan for about a year and four months. A lot of people will look at me and not expect me to be a vegan. People would never know unless I told them. I started because I wanted to be healthier. It was the end of sophomore year and I was really stressed out. I was in a really unhealthy state and my body felt awful. I was eating awfully.

It started with thirty days of veganism, when you don’t eat any animal products or animal bi-products, as a cleanse. During the cleanse, I got some books from the library about veganism and then it stopped being just a health thing. It turned into a moral thing. I found I completely agreed with everything that I was reading. The books outlined all of the health benefits of being vegan, but also the problems that related to eating animal products.

I committed to a vegan diet after I read those books and I have many reminders in my everyday life of why I am doing it. I lost ten pounds without even trying. For two years now, I have been going to the Veg Fest, an event at the Convention Center that celebrates a vegan diet. The first time I went, I was still learning what foods I would eat. It was so welcoming and everyone was so willing to help and support me. It was a really cool environment. I just love talking to other vegans. It’s my community. It’s my church. Like when religious people find Jesus; I feel like I found my Jesus in vegan food.  It’s something that I will always believe and I will always follow.

Before becoming vegan, baking was one of my main hobbies. During the transition, I had to ask myself: ‘How am I going to keep doing this?’ But I got some cookbooks and tried it out and I have loved everything I have made. And I love surprising my friends with how good vegan food can be. They just have to be open to it.

I’m not trying to convert anyone. The worst thing for the vegan reputation is the vegan who preaches. You shouldn’t condemn someone else for what they are doing. That’s only going to push someone away from veganism. You never know how someone will react. When I’m over at a friend’s house and they bring out snacks that aren’t vegan, sometimes they’re like: ‘Hey, you can go graze on some grass in the backyard.’ But it’s all in good fun. I just try to set a good example and not make a big deal about it.

It’s just like any big part of someone. Some people love playing soccer. I love being a vegan. It’s a life choice, and I can’t imagine myself living any other way.