Growing up, I was not aware of the term ‘food injustice’ after learning about it in middle school during a soy milk taste test. I learned that food injustice affects many students all over New York city due to school cafeterias not having options for students that are plant-based, lactose-intolerant or have dietary restrictions. It is important that students get proper nutrients as they navigate through high school. Did you know that 65–68% of the global population is lactose intolerant? And that 65–75% of Black, Native and Latino students are lactose intolerant. I decided that I needed to make it my mission to add a cow milk alternative to the lunch line.

Before my senior year of high school, dietary restrictions were abstract to me — I understood that they posed a problem for other students, but I grasped neither the scope of the problem nor the student experience. That ignorance was shattered by my transition to a vegetarian diet just before that year began.

Advocating for plant-based school food has been a whirlwind of ups and downs that I never would’ve expected. From being mistaken for Korean during a USDA meeting to breaking down in tears at my school’s food service office (several times), my campaign has been an incredibly enriching experience that I would not trade for anything in the world. Despite not facing overwhelming success or approval, and at times feeling like the biggest failure in my cohort, the life lessons I’ve garnered throughout this journey are something no amount of accomplishments could’ve taught me.

I stared at the cafeteria line, scanning for something I could eat that both aligned with my Hindu values and didn’t upset my lactose intolerant stomach. Most days, my only option was the weekly salad — adequate in isolation but not enough to feel like my choices mattered on a day to day basis.