I’ve had a fondness for animals and nature my whole life, but my family never had animals in the house, despite years of begging my mom to get a cat. I was born in India and taught to respect all living beings, grew up in New Jersey since age 6 (and ate a lot of hamburgers), became vegetarian in high school, and another decade later, after moving to Chicago a few years ago, became vegan. I’ve since become active in animal rescue work, fostering dogs and cats in my home, and I also work to support local farm animal sanctuaries. I want to help all animals live long, happy, healthy lives, and that’s what motivates me in the work I do every day.