Chevy Chase Teen May Be the ‘Coolest Vegan Alive’

The animal-rights group PETA is hosting the first Coolest Vegan Alive contest and a Chevy Chase teen is one of the finalists.

Chevy Chase resident Lutfiyah Madyun, 19, is among the 12 finalists in this competition hosted by PETA’s youth division- peta2. At the organization’s website, visitors can read about each participant’s personal story on only eating a vegan diet and advocating for animal rights.

According to a news release, Lutfiyah dropped meat from her diet when she was just 14 and went vegan two years ago for a New Year’s resolution. Since then, she’s done all she can to share delicious, healthy cruelty-free dishes with others—including her family, whom she treats to two home-cooked vegan dinners a week. Her example has inspired three of her siblings and several friends to drop meat, dairy, and eggs. Lutfiyah hopes to open her own vegan restaurant—a dream she’s beginning to realize after a recent internship at a local restaurant, where she was able to help create tasty vegan options, like mapo tofu burgers, with the head chef.

“Whether she’s serving up tasty vegan dishes for her lucky family or working with an entire restaurant to add vegan dishes to the menu, Lutfiyah is making waves for animals in her community,” said Marta Holmberg, PETA director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns.

Peta2 website visitors can vote for their favorite finalist here. Voting ends on July 28 and winners will be featured on the website Aug. 4.

“By going vegan and encouraging others to make kind choices, Lutfiyah and peta2’s other entrants are already winners,” Holmberg added.

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