In November of 2021, sophomore Isabella Gentry and her AP Government and AP Economics teacher Mr. Goldberg started a blog called The Vegan Select. What do the two co-founders have in common? They are both hardcore vegans. This blog is their way of sharing their veganism with the world in the form of articles, interviews, and photographs. I have interviewed Gentry to get the inside scoop on the blog.
The magic all began one day at lunch. After talking for a while, Gentry and Goldberg realized that they both have veganism in common. “I knew he was a great photographer, and I have always had a passion for writing,” says Gentry. Then it hit her: The Vegan Select. “I thought it would be a great collaboration if he did the photography and I did the journalism, and we could post about things related to being vegan.” The blog has a diverse range of articles. “I do recipes pretty often, I’ve interviewed a few prominent people in the vegan community, and I do many informational articles.”
“My blog is important because it definitely shows this different lifestyle and its diversity. Vegan life isn’t always what people think it is. This lifestyle is becoming much more prominent, and being a vegan really isn’t so much of a rare thing. People should check it out just to experience something new,” explains Gentry. She believes even people who are not vegans will enjoy reading and benefit from her blog because even if you don’t go vegan, the recipes she writes are healthy and delicious, so you can still use them. Plus, she even wrote about how to read a nutrition label which is something anyone can benefit from. It will teach you more about the lifestyle by reading the blog, and may even inspire you.
“Writing for my blog, in general, makes me feel pretty empowered and heard. It means a lot knowing people are taking time to read a high schooler’s writing and especially because I’m preaching about something I love and care about,” Gentry passionately states. High schoolers go through a lot of stress, and for Gentry, writing for her blog is a great way to relieve it.
Many Berkley students know and love Mr. Goldberg. Aside from being a great teacher, Goldberg photographs many things, such as animals, senior pictures, headshots, and of course, food! Goldberg’s role in the blog is being the one and only photographer. Gentry explains, “he also adds many ideas and takes an authoritative role when it comes to realism. Sometimes I tend to get ahead of myself and think too big, but Mr. Goldberg will always put more of a realistic idea into my head. When he sets goals and expectations for us, it really helps me.”

Gentry would like to shout out and thank sophomore Sophia Baron for coming up with the name The Vegan Select. Gentry used an online site called Weebly to create her website for free, and it worked well for her. “I think in the future, like next year or a couple of years, once I figure out someone who has a real website, maybe they could help me figure out how to do that, so Weebly isn’t part of the link, and I don’t have to associate with it,” said Gentry.
Gentry would like all readers to know, “Often people don’t realize the benefits of looking beyond your lifestyle, and I think it’s important to be exposed to more than just your usual style. Keep an open mind.”

To Read The Vegan Select, click the following link. https://www.theveganselect.blog/
To follow The Vegan Select on Instagram, click the following link.
https://instagram.com/theveganselect?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=