Age is just a number, as proven by junior Skye Cushing, whose goal is to make an impact on her community at just 16 years old. The junior has launched a campaign advocating for clearer allergen labeling in local restaurants, aiming to make dining out safer for people with food allergies.
Cushing’s passion for the issue is deeply personal. Living with food allergies herself, she understands the stress that can come with ordering a meal. “I have been allergic to eggs, fish and nuts my whole life and came up with this campaign after having an allergic reaction at my friends’ birthday brunch, making it so that I had to leave,” Cushing said.
Her campaign began as a school project but quickly grew into something much larger. After researching the lack of standardized allergen labeling practices in restaurants, Cushing decided to take action. She started by creating informational materials that highlight the importance of listing common allergens. She has worked with foundations in her fight to allow people to eat out safely. “Through the process I have worked with Delegate Woods, Delegate Foley, their staff, and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA),” Cushing said.
Her efforts include proposing new landmark legislation named Maryland HB 181, where restaurants in the state are required to disclose when any of the top nine most common allergens like tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, fish, shellfish, milk, sesame, egg and soy are in the restaurant’s food. “Although HB181 (CLEAR) did not pass in this legislative cycle we are excited to continue working towards passing it in the next cycle. All of the work we put in and support we received during this cycle will be very helpful in doing so,” Cushing said.
From there, she plans to talk to local restaurant owners, for their support and possibly help in making this change. “During the legislative cycle I was reaching out to different allergy support organizations. Now that the session has ended we are recouping and will be reaching out to restaurants to get support and urge them to label allergens on menus regardless of the bills status,” Cushing said.
In addition to working with restaurants, Cushing has used social media to raise awareness and build support on her Instagram @Skye.Speaks.Up. Her posts have shared updates on her progress, her personal experiences and how she is advocating for student allergies, helping to connect others who face similar challenges. Responses to her campaign have been overly positive from friends, family and people in the community. “I think that this campaign was amazing and I’m so proud of my bestie and also that she worked so hard for this,” junior Winnie Kelley said.
Students and community members alike have taken notice. “I feel like this campaign would be very helpful because too many times, the menu doesn’t accurately portray the ingredients and allergens in a food item. Personally, I would love to have something like this at a restaurant to ease any worries of not knowing what’s in the food,” senior Chase Mitchell said.
Looking ahead, Cushing hopes to expand her campaign beyond the local area. She is exploring the possibility of partnering with advocacy groups and even pushing for broader policy changes that would encourage or require clearer allergen labeling in restaurants.
