Allergy-Friendly Elon University Guide

As freshman at Elon University, my mom and I went through extensive research on which school would be the best to accommodate my allergies. After many meetings with the chefs and nutritionists at Elon, we figured out a plan to keep me safe. Then during the first day of orientation, the day after my mom left me at school, I had an allergic reaction. Following this reaction, the school put in place a plan for me that I would only get my meals from 3 chefs that I had a group chat with. I requested what I wanted, whenever I wanted. This was not something normal Elon does for students, but after they nearly killed me, that’s what they saw as best fit.

The next school year, there was a completely vegan cafe in one of the dining halls. Whenever I ate there, I always had to make sure all the stuff was prepped in its own space. I did not have a reaction once! Now that I am a junior, I don’t have a meal plan but ironically, they got rid of the completely vegan cafe. They do, however, have a top allergen free cafe in one of the dining halls. In my past years, the chefs advised me not to eat there because of possible cross contamination. This year whenever I go with my friends, I either make sure it was prepped individually, or ask them if they can go prep me something individually in a safe dairy-free zone.

Location: Elon, North Carolina