I was fortunate to meet this beautiful and brilliant 18-year old Cornell student last week. Her grandmother asked if I would be so kind as to provide any advice I may have for entering the field of clinical nutrition. Today, I received an email from her with the following note:

<strong><em>"I had a great time hearing about your work, and I hope I can put your advice into practice. I feel like talking with you has put me ahead of where I would be otherwise. Thank you."</em></strong>

Thank <strong>you</strong> Laurel for allowing me to participate in your journey. I feel like talking with you confirms my mission in life - helping to make a difference in the world guiding others.
<div>At age 15, Laurel received the "Youth Winner" award in the US Poet Laureate competition in the category of "The Natural World and Man's Separation from It."  A remarkable piece of work. How fortunate are those who will have a chance to be influenced by this amazing young woman. I certainly have been.</div>
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<div>"Opaque" by Laurel Moffat</div>
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<div>You pull the socks up</div>
<div>and the sleeves down</div>
<div>to cover your bruised knees</div>
<div>and scabby elbow</div>
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<div>Is it chilly in the growling car?</div>
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<div>Then you frown at the plastic flowers</div>
<div>like autumn leaves</div>
<div>shoved into the dirty white container</div>
<div>next to the gas pump;</div>
<div>an extension of the dusty asphalt.</div>
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<div>Where have you been?</div>
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<div>Did you collect your scrapes</div>
<div>while taking a hammer</div>
<div>to the pavement,</div>
<div>dicing the gray into ice cubes</div>
<div>that melt enough to let trees through?</div>
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<div>I think not.</div>
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<div>They're from that time you tripped</div>
<div>and fell into the black glass street</div>
<div>while running in the warm dark</div>
<div>where the leaves couldn't see you.</div>
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<div>You're hiding from them again,</div>
<div>behind the car door.</div>
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<div>Behind the bulletproof glass.</div>
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<div>Where are you going?</div>
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<div>Maybe today it will be the zoo,</div>
<div>where wild things</div>
<div>hide in glass, too.</div>
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<div>I know you won't break it,</div>
<div>break out.</div>
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<div>You only seem to know</div>
<div>how to break yourself.</div>
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