After seeing how animals are treated before they're killed for their meat, high-school freshman Katie Mayer decided to go vegetarian. Now, she's an intern with the Vegetarian Resource Group, working to spread the word to others. She even appeared on Good Morning America, letting a national audience know that vegetarianism can be healthy for people of all ages.

Why did you become a vegetarian?

Katie: I became a vegetarian last September after I went on a trip for school to the Chesapeake Bay. When I saw how the fish were treated before they were killed, I decided to stop eating all kinds of meat.

Tell us about your internship with the Vegetarian Resource Group.

Katie: I decided to intern with the Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG) because I was looking for an intership that interested me and that I also could get community service hours for. I started the internship in the summer of 2007. I do some office work, but mostly I write restaurant and product reviews for the VRG website.

What advice would you give to other teenagers who are interested in vegetarianism?

Katie: I would tell them to definitely become a vegetarian. I know people who think it's impossible to live on a vegetarian diet, but I would tell anyone considering it that it's not a hard thing to do and that it's a really good decision. If they are worried about health issues, I would say there are so many ways to get protein: tofu, cheese, peanut butter are all good sources.

Do you ever face criticism for your views?

Katie: I get criticism almost every day at school for being a vegetarian, but I would never let it stop me. I used to tell people about all the disgusting things farmers do to animals before they kill them, but honestly, it didn't work. They would stop eating meat for a day, but they would never become a full vegetarian. The best way to change peoples' minds about vegetarians is to show them we don't miss out on anything. When I shared some veggie burgers with my friends, they responded to it. Some became vegetarians, even though most of them just switched to free range meat.

What are your future plans for helping animals?

Katie: I plan to do whatever I can to help animals. I'll keep volunteering at VRG and donating money to organizations that help animals. When I grow up, I want to be an actress, and use that to promote vegetarianism.