Amy Gorski, a junior at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is majoring in Conservation and Environmental Science. In the spring semester of 2010, Amy became an officer for the student organization V.I.V.E. (vegan interest/vegan education) which promotes veganism on campus as well as animal rights awareness. That same semester, with the help of the Peta2 Road Warriors, Amy obtained over 1,200 student signatures in support for more vegan options in the cafeteria. In the fall 2010 semester, Amy will return to UW-Milwaukee as the co-president of V.I.V.E. with the intentions to host guest speakers and vegan cooking demos to encourage others in her community to embrace a healthier and compassionate lifestyle. Also, as the new co-organizer of the Students for Animal Rights’ (StAR) 2010 College Veg Pledge, Amy hopes to inspire college students to pledge to go vegetarian for a month and surpass the goal of 25,000 signatures. In her few moments of spare time, Amy can be found running on Milwaukee’s lake front, practicing yoga or baking new vegan treats for her family and friends.
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Parendi Birdie dreams big. As a young girl, her dreams to “change the world” shined brightly, and as she grew older her dreams only intensified. During her time in high school, Parendi served as president of the Social Awareness Club, Environment Club, and Spanish Club. She also worked with community organizations including Animal Outreach of Kansas, Allied Resistance (a prisoner support network), and The Solidarity Radical Library. As a result of her dedication to social change, Parendi was named The Lesley College Presidential Scholar, a Mills Provost Scholar, and a Kansas Honors Scholar. Continuing to follow her dreams, Parendi graduated high school early to travel to Paraguay, Pakistan, and Jordan. During her journey she spent a week in Amman, Jordan as she was selected to represent her Parsi culture at theWomen2Women Empower Peace Leadership Conference, a gathering of female activists from around the world who are fighting for social justice. At the university level, Parendi continues to explore the intersections of oppression as a member of Latin American Solidarity, Queers and Allies, and South Asian Student Association. In addition, she is the president of Lawrence Fair Food (a student and community organization working in solidarity with farmworkers to eliminate sweatshop conditions and modern-day slavery in the agriculture industry) and the president and founder of Compassion for All Animals. While following her dreams and actively working towards social justice, Parendi Birdie continues to excel in the academics as member of the Kansas University Honors Program, the Student Leadership Team, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars.
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