Coffee, blogs and veganism all have one thing in common: Liz Courville.
Courville is a full-time student who started the University organization, “Plant-Based Society.” Courville is also the assistant manager of the new Baton Rouge location of Rêve Coffee Roasters, which will open early summer 2018 in White Star Market on Government Street. She does all of this while running a blog on her website, lizcourville.com, where she writes more than once every month.
Before Courville began her college experience and “Plant-Based Society,” she was a regular at Rêve Coffee Roasters in Lafayette. She and her mom were among Rêve’s first consistent customers. They went weekly and enjoyed vegan treats and coffee. After four years as a loyal customer and time as an employee, Courville was offered a management high position at Rêve’s newest location in Baton Rouge.
“‘Rêve’ has always been a special place for me. It feels like family,” Courville said. “The people behind the bar and the amazing coffee are what keep me going. Rêve employees always care about the entire process of the coffee experience.”
Courville has been family friends with Giovanni Roberts, one of Rêve’s first workers, for years. So when he asked her to join him and become the assistant manager at Rêve in Baton Rouge, she jumped at the opportunity. She and Roberts have been working on Rêve’s new location in Baton Rouge for months now, getting ready for the opening. Courville will also be managing Rêve’s Instagram, @Rêvestick.
Courville has had a passion for health and plant-based, vegan food since before she moved from Lafayette to attend the University in 2015. When she got to the University for orientation, she didn’t see any specific vegan organizations on campus.
“I remember hearing, ‘If you don’t see the organization you’d like to join, start it!’ I decided that LSU needed a vegan focused organization, so I started one,” Courville said.
She wanted an organization that would bring like-minded people together, and now, “Plant-Based Society” has 70 official members. They meet around three to four times a month and hold vegan potlucks, volunteer at animal shelters and listen to guest speakers. Each month the club has a specific topic or theme, and this month is focused on animals shelters. On April 15, they will be going to a local animal shelter, Companion Animal Alliance.
“I knew that there was a vegan population at LSU, and I’m so happy that they have a place to come together now,” Courville said.
On her Instagram account, @Lizcourville, you can find her personal blog, where she posts about lifestyle and wellness. She shares her travel adventures, vegan and minimalist lifestyle and personal growth stories. Her blog helps her express herself completely. She focuses on the quality of her posts, rather than the quantity.
Nutrition and Food science Liz Courville seems to do it all, but she couldn’t be where she is without being as open and honest as she is with herself. She owes this all to her friends, family and blog, where she expresses her truest emotions and shares life tips and vegan recipes.
“My blog keeps me accountable,” Courville said. “I feel better writing my feelings, rather than talking about them. I feel like I can say everything I want to when I write. I encourage everyone to keep track of their feelings on a regular basis.”
Her blog has vegan recipes, which she also talks about in her organization, “Plant-Based Society,” which you can find on its Instagram account, @plantbasedsocietylsu. She encourages people to consider adding vegan options in their diet rather than forcing her beliefs on them. She feels that if people just adjust a few areas of their diet to vegan or plant-based options, she’s done her job.
Courville hasn’t changed her major in nutrition since she came to the University. She started getting into health as a sophomore in high school and has remained consistent ever since. She is also working on an undergraduate research project to enter the college of agriculture. Her life is jam-packed with constant activity, but it all focuses on her love for health and service. She says her biggest accomplishment may be her ability to express her emotions in a healthy way, through her blog, which is important for people of all ages to learn.
“Even if only one person reads my blog, I’d be happy,” Courville said. “There is always a way to release stress and express yourself, mine just happens to be blogging.”
