Courage to Change the World: Upper School Student Zara V. '29 Wins International Film Contest

Upper School student Zara V. '29 is driven by a desire to raise awareness about food insecurity and the negative effects of food waste. A lifelong foodie, Zara’s love of cooking and eating gradually evolved into something deeper: an awareness of how much food is wasted each day and the environmental consequences that follow. Rather than look away, she leaned in.

“I wanted to know if there was a way to manipulate our food scraps rather than toss them away,” Zara said.

That dedication led her to create a short documentary, Seattle Responds to Food Waste, which was selected for theatrical screening at Toi Femmes – Films in dʼEnfants, a Parisian film festival that celebrates young women in filmmaking. Because her inspiring documentary was so critically acclaimed, it also won the Best Documentary Short Film Award in North America for 2025 at the Kids International Family Film Festival and is on track to receive worldwide recognition.

“This documentary shows the effects of food insecurity in Seattle through the eyes of community members helping the food insecure, and explores the extent of, the cause of, and solutions for food waste through interviews and footage of chefs, farmers, and farm-stand owners in the Seattle area,” Zara explained.

In this twelve-minute film, Zara ventures into her community to connect with other food enthusiasts who share her dream of eliminating food insecurity worldwide. She first chatted with Petrina Fisher, who owns Skylight Farms in Snohomish, and absorbed what she could about her methods for utilizing food scraps on her farm.

“It was really cool to hear her insights on what she does with her leftover produce,” Zara said. “It’s shocking how much food can go to waste, but they are able to repurpose their food scraps and find several ways to manipulate them.”

Next, she visited Austin Farmstand and learned that the founder, Austin Becker, collects food scraps from small business owners and sells them to people who don’t have easy access to food. Her other interviewees for her film included Zachary and Seth Pacleb, sibling chefs who own Brothers & Co. and Pidgin Cooperative. Their multifaceted food service outfit includes private catering and serving up ramen and tacos at the University District and Ballard Farmers' Markets.

“They use food scraps to make their ramen and tacos,” Zara said. “Bones are used to help make the broth, carrot peels were made into salsa, and tomato skins were made into a different dish. They were able to repurpose those scraps so they don’t contribute to methane emissions in the atmosphere when they pile up in landfills.”

After creating her award-winning film, Zara took her commitment to addressing food security even further by applying for an internship in the Washington State Representative Program, which allowed her to shadow Representative My-Linh Thai and learn how to use her voice to incite change. At the state capitol, she witnessed firsthand how bills are passed and the many issues circulating around the state. She also learned more about the legislative process and how lawmakers make complex decisions based on the fundamental principles of different bills.

“It was pretty amazing to attend Representative Thai’s meetings, hear the various issues brought to her, and listen to how she could create sustainable solutions to help make every party feel valued. I applied for this internship so that I could see how people can make a difference and what actions need to be taken, so I could also make a change in my community.”

One of Zara’s favorite meetings to sit in on was close to her heart, as it concerned a farm school initiative that requested more funding for students who rely on the National School Lunch Program, which is a federal initiative providing low-cost or free, nutritionally balanced lunches to children in publicor nonprofit private schools and residential care institutions.

“About eighty percent of students relied on this program, and they wouldn’t be fed in the summer if it were to go away,” Zara explained. “It was great to see how much they wanted to improve people’s lives. I’m working with Head of School Sarah Smith to help create an initiative to help make Bush even more sustainable, though we’re already doing a pretty good job.”

Zara will continue her efforts to eliminate food insecurity by applying what she has learned from her documentary research, Representative Thai, and from her supportive teachers at Bush. She’s shown tremendous courage by tackling real-world issues and highlighting the need for change. By the time she graduates, she will be even more empowered to make a difference, not just for today, but for generations to come.

“Our generation is the new steps into the future, which means that we can make an impact,” Zara said. “I really want to be part of that impact, so the future generations can have a sustainable planet to look forward to.”