Having earned a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree, I can't help but see the world with naturopathic glasses: how can I grow a garden in my tiny studio apartment? Where can I eat locally sourced, organic fruits and vegetables in this food desert I now call home? Can we talk about how that makes you feel? It's something that will never leave me, and for that I am truly grateful.

Although I've lived in a fairly diverse handful of cities across the nation, I have found that poverty is universal--including in my own home. A few years after I graduated from school, I found the opportunity to volunteer my services at a primarily LGBT youth homeless shelter. It was one of the most challenging patient population I have ever encountered, because I was completely inept at managing their needs! I had never co-managed hormone therapy, counseled through severe depression, or navigated any portion of the public welfare system. My soul was never so happy.

So, now I'm entering a new era. I've decided