Fellowship Info Session on Sept 16th. RSVP today!
The New Roots Institute Leadership Academy brings together students for six weeks of intensive training in food systems advocacy, leadership development, and movement building. Fellows explore the systems that sustain factory farming, develop practical organizing and communication skills, and build relationships with peers, mentors, and organizations across the movement.
Fellow Regina reflected on her 2026 Leadership Academy experience, sharing her goals, what she learned, and what comes next.
My goals are to build a plant-forward food system on my campus and create a more inclusive menu. As a rising sophomore, I hope to start a plant-based movement and help other students who struggle, like me, to simply eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in our dining halls.
With the help of the New Roots Institute and the Better Food Foundation, I hope to gain the skills to advocate for change in food systems. I also want to educate others on the impacts of our current food system, which consists mainly of animal-based products.
Additionally, I would like to keep working on my public speaking and professional networking skills. Being able to connect with others who have experience in my field of interest will help me further improve my skills and personal growth.
Getting the chance to talk to one of my idols, Dr. Michael Greger, on the very first day. I've followed his work for a long time, so being able to ask him a question was honestly surreal. It reminded me that the people who have made a huge impact in public health and the plant-based movement are real people who want to help others learn and grow. That experience definitely motivated me to keep working toward making my own impact.
One thing I’ve learned is how important it is to be an active listener.
Before this program, I would usually avoid conversations where I knew people had different opinions than me. Throughout the Leadership Academy, I realized those conversations can actually be some of the most valuable. I've learned that it's okay not to have all the answers, and sometimes listening and asking questions teaches you more than trying to prove a point.
I've learned that being a good leader doesn't mean being perfect. You're going to make mistakes, and that's part of learning. There will always be times when someone asks you something you don't know how to answer, but instead of being discouraged, you can use it as motivation to learn more. I also think leadership is about helping others grow. If you can teach someone something that inspires them to make a positive impact, that's real leadership. Plus, teaching is one of the best ways to learn yourself.
Over the last six weeks, I've stepped outside of my comfort zone a lot more. I've been more willing to ask questions, join discussions, and connect with people who share the same passion for improving health. I've also tried to stay curious and open-minded, even when I heard opinions that were different from mine.
One of the biggest challenges for me was learning how to talk to people about ending factory farming in a way that was positive instead of only focusing on the problems. It's easy to talk about all the harm factory farming causes, but I realized that constantly leading with negative facts can make people shut down.
This upcoming academic year, I'll be interning with the Better Food Foundation to help bring more plant-forward options to my university dining hall. I'm excited to take what I've learned through New Roots and apply it in a real-world setting. I also want to keep improving my advocacy skills by having more conversations, building connections with others in this movement, and finding new ways to make plant-based eating more accessible and appealing.
Looking further ahead, I want to have my own private practice in order to work with patients who want to eat a more plant-based diet. I'd love to work with vegans who want to improve their health and lifestyle. Although I have to get clinical experience in the hospital first, I'm sure it will be mandatory to prescribe animal products as a default, which is why I want to be a pioneer and open my own practice. I hope to grow my own fruits and veggies and have a non-profit to help my community and rescue factory farm animals!
Connect with Regina Cruz on LinkedIn.
New Roots Institute is a nonprofit empowering the next generation with knowledge and training to end factory farming. Through our leadership development programs, fellows take what they learn about the food system and put it into practice by launching campaigns that challenge industrial animal agriculture. We are strengthening the movement—spreading change from individuals to their communities, and expanding outward into wider systems-level change.
