NATCHEZ — Scholastic Writing Award-winner Annalyce Riley has a passion for changing the world and does her part by changing her own daily meals and habits.

Riley, a Cathedral High School Junior, recently won the Silver Key Award, second place, for a critical essay she wrote on George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” in her Advanced Placement English Class and submitted to the Eudora Welty Foundation’s Scholastic Art and Writing competition.

The competition represents 82 Mississippi counties and receives hundreds of entries each year, AP English Language and Composition teacher Jean Biglane said.

Riley will receive recognition for the award this April at the Eudora Welty House in Jackson.

“I’m definitely proud to get this award,” Riley said.

Riley said she relates to her essay topic because of her deep-seeded love for animals and is a vegan by choice.

Riley said she also did a research paper on the negative effects of animal agriculture on climate change and ways to mitigate those changes.

“I definitely relate to my topics because I try to write about things that I’m passionate about,” she said.

Riley is the daughter of Jimmy and Carol Ann Riley and plays basketball, tennis and is a member of the National Honor Society.

When she graduates, Riley said she plans to study biofuel engineering at the University of Mississippi.

“(Biofuel) is an alternative to fossil fuels — using algae and other, more sustainable energy sources,” Riley said. “It kind of ties in with my vegan beliefs. … I have a heart for animals and I don’t want to see them suffer … and I have a heart for the planet.”