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:

"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."

Thank you 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 working with 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><strong>"Opaque" by Laurel Moffat</strong></div>
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<div dir="ltr"><strong>You pull the socks up</strong>
<strong> and the sleeves down</strong>
<strong> to cover your bruised knees</strong>
<strong> and scabby elbow.</strong><strong>Is it chilly in the growling car?</strong>

<strong>Then you frown at the plastic flowers</strong>
<strong> like autumn leaves</strong>
<strong> shoved into the dirty white container</strong>
<strong> next to the gas pump;</strong>
<strong> an extension of the dusty asphalt.</strong>

<strong>Where have you been?</strong>

<strong>Did you collect your scrapes</strong>
<strong> while taking a hammer</strong>
<strong> to the pavement,</strong>
<strong> dicing the gray into ice cubes</strong>
<strong> that melt enough to let trees through?</strong>

<strong>I think not.</strong>

<strong>They're from that time you tripped</strong>
<strong> and fell into the black glass street</strong>
<strong> while running in the warm dark</strong>
<strong> where the leaves couldn't see you.</strong>

<strong>You're hiding from them again,</strong>
<strong> behind the car door.</strong>

<strong>Behind the bulletproof glass.</strong>

<strong>Where are you going?</strong>

<strong>Maybe today it'll be the zoo,</strong>
<strong> where wild things</strong>
<strong> hide in glass, too.</strong>

<strong>I know you won't break it,</strong>
<strong> break out.</strong>

<strong>You only seem to know</strong>
<strong> how to break yourself.</strong>

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