DEDICATION: Poly student Yadira Schrom (11) discusses her journey toward a clean vegan lifestyle and educates her peers on veganism.
By Birdy Jones, Staff Writer
While your average teen struggles to cut back on his or her fast food addiction, Poly student and committed vegetarian of 6 years, Yadira Schrom, begins her journey as a vegan. However, Schrom does not intend on taking this journey solitarily. Instead, she hopes to inform others of her vegan lifestyle and inspire them to want the same lifestyle for themselves through her new club, V Minority: Protectors of the Vulnerable. This passionate vegan activist started off like the average child, indulging in meat and dairy products. What was it that inspired her to change her dietary lifestyle?
Schrom recalls her initial reasons for becoming a vegetarian 6 years ago, stating that her older sister became a vegetarian and, like any young girl who adores her older sibling, she wanted to be just like her. While her sister strayed away from vegetarianism years ago, Schrom mentions that it was easy for her to stick with it. When asked why leading the vegetarian life was so easy for her, Schrom explained, “I think it was because of my love and respect for animals. I never second guessed my decision to go vegetarian because of that.”
As one can imagine, a vegetarian diet can be challenging and limiting. Despite this, Schrom made the voluntary decision to further her commitment to both animals and her body by becoming a vegan. Ironically, her first experiences as a vegan were unintentional. Schrom explained that her 6-week summer vacation in Colombia led her to her new lifestyle: “In Colombia, they don’t eat a lot of milk and dairy, but mostly vegetables and meat. When I went to Colombia, I was a vegetarian, so I tried the milk and cheese there, but it was so fresh and unprocessed that I found it absolutely unbearable. I wasn’t used to it.” Because of this, Schrom was practically forced to begin a vegan diet during her stay in Colombia, which lasted for half of her summer.
As this newborn vegan returned home from her trip, she chose to stick to her new diet. The reason she continued was the way she felt; her body felt so awake and she felt much more alert. Not only did her boost of energy encourage her to remain vegan, it also motivated her to research veganism. “I did a lot of research and watched a lot of documentaries when I got home, and that’s when I became passionate about it. To keep yourself motivated on a diet that’s so difficult, you really have to do your research and continue to educate yourself,” Schrom stated.
Despite her passion for veganism, the former cheese-lover admits that it can be difficult: “Going out to eat can be hard. And as far as temptations go, it’s a mental battle for me every day.” Schrom states that she understands that these challenges are a part of her new lifestyle and she admits that she hasn’t been a 100 percent clean vegan. However, she has hope that she will gain the necessary discipline as she continues on her journey.
Schrom expressed that the temptations are not the only reason she struggles with her vegan diet. Not only does she crave the foods she is restricted from, but she is often laughed at or mocked by others for her dietary decision. In relation to this struggle, Schrom voices, “It can be frustrating believing in something with all of your heart when others take it so lightly.”
While some may wonder why Schrom continues on her journey with such optimism, she makes it clear that veganism does have its perks. “As a vegan, I don’t feel like I’m being a hypocrite. Internally and spiritually, I feel so cleansed and at peace,” Schrom said.
After Schrom became explicitly vegan, her peers were intrigued by her rare dietary choice. She saw this as the perfect opportunity to start her own club to educate those who displayed interest and explain her journey to them. “I want people to know my story. When I was a vegetarian, I never imagined I’d go vegan and I always thought it was impossible.” Through starting her club and telling her story, Schrom intends to help people see that she came from the same position as they are in now and that she once saw this alternative lifestyle as something she could never attain herself, but she did.
Schrom clarifies that it is not her intention to be a militant vegan. “I don’t plan to tell people what to eat or how to think. I simply want to expose any person interested to the concept of veganism. It’s more than just a diet, but a philosophy.”