Karly handles social media for CAA’s University of Minnesota chapter. Read on to find out what motivates her to eat plant-based and learn about the many ways she engages in academics and the community to make the world a kinder and healthier place.

What made you decide to get involved with Compassionate Action for Animals?

I discovered Compassionate Action for Animals my freshman year at the clubs fair that the University of Minnesota hosts. I was looking for a club for vegans and vegetarians because at the time, I had been vegan for almost 2 years. I loved the organization’s values and wanted to be apart of a community with similar values to me. Seeing a poster with “vegan” and “vegetarian” written on it immediately caught my attention. I’m so happy I got involved!

Describe what your volunteer work with CAA entails.

I am the social media officer for the CAA UMN chapter. I design and post social media on Instagram and Facebook primarily to promote upcoming events and club meetings. Back when we had in-person events, I also took photos and kept them organized. I also occasionally help organize events and content for weekly meetings.

What do you love most about volunteering?

The community is what I love most about volunteering. People within CAA and those who support the organization are some of the most interesting and dedicated people I’ve ever met. There’s truly nothing else like it.

When you are not working on CAA stuff, what do you do?

I am currently studying to get my ESPM (environmental sciences, policy, and management) degree from the UMN. I am also a debate coach, office assistant, and undergraduate research assistant. I am also heavily involved with UMN Climate Strike as their outreach lead, UMN Democrats also as their outreach lead, and am the Minnesota Student Association Representative for the CFANS Undergraduate Student Board. My hobbies include traveling, cooking, reading, and going to concerts. Since most of my hobbies aren’t COVID friendly, I’ve been staying busy with work, studying, and trying out new recipes.

What inspires you to eat plant-based?

I could go on and on about what inspires me to eat plant-based because it genuinely changed my life for the better. I decided to go from vegetarian to vegan on New Year’s Eve in 2017 and haven’t stopped since. It’s for the animals, it’s for the environment, and it’s for my own health and well-being. Eating plant-based is itself more creative and I love leading by example, having inspired many of my friends to try it out, too. I love knowing that everyday, I’m choosing to eat and live in a way that causes less harm.