Fueling transformative experiences
Meet Lilly Smith ’26, former undergraduate research assistant at the Joan Klein Jacobs Center for Precision Nutrition and Health. In 2024, Lilly was a summer intern for Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Farmers Market Nutrition Program and a fellow at the New Roots Institute.
What has Cornell made possible for you?
In my freshman year at Cornell, I met Jessica Cohen ’25, a junior studying biology, nutrition, and law. Both passionate vegans, we met in hopes of reviving the inactive vegan club at Cornell.
Coincidentally, we were both fellows in New Roots Institute's Leadership Academy the following summer. There, we received formal training in advocacy and strategic planning, and by July, we had teamed up to launch an institutional campaign at Cornell.
Over the next year and a half, we built strong relationships with key stakeholders at Cornell Dining. Our work led to the removal of upcharged nondairy milk at all campus cafes. This switch expanded access to more environmentally friendly drink options for thousands of students and faculty at Cornell. Our work also expanded plant-based food offerings at retail and dining hall locations significantly.
By meeting Jessica, in addition to the support from both Cornell and the New Roots Institute, I was able to transform my individual passion for veganism into a catalyst for sustainable and empathy-driven change in our campus food system. This experience empowered me to pursue a dietetics path in preparation for a career in national or global food policy.
Tell us about a time you had to try something new.
Coming to Cornell was an incredibly challenging change for me. At the beginning of my freshman year, I was experiencing tremendous homesickness. I remember crying in the bathroom of the airport after every break, and some days I couldn’t even get out of bed to go to class because I was so depressed. The guilt I felt was particularly challenging because I knew I was so privileged to be here at Cornell, so I couldn’t understand why I was so unhappy. I considered transferring back home to a school in Colorado, but my parents pushed me to stay through the rest of my freshman year—something I am forever grateful for.
Pushing through this challenge was a pivotal moment in my life and evidence of crucial self-growth. Whenever I go through something tough now, I look back at those moments early on. They truly taught me the importance of focusing on the end goal, regardless of how hard the journey is.
Now, I am so happy to be at Cornell, and I am proud of the impact I have made on this community because I chose to stay. I have met lifelong friends, discovered my true passion for nutrition security and food systems reform, and grown so much in my veganism advocacy journey. Furthermore, I am surrounded by some of the most motivated and intelligent people in the world, who inspire me to become better every day.
Tell us about an impactful experience you had.
I am incredibly grateful for Cornell’s Global and Public Health Sciences program because of how cultural awareness and career growth are integrated into the curriculum.
All of my core classes have emphasized the importance of possessing cultural humility as a future public health practitioner. Whether in our hypothetical grant proposal assignments, analyses of systemic barriers to nutrition equity across the nation, or in our hands-on applied learning projects, establishing trust and continual relationships with the communities we are working with is at the center of our curriculum. This approach empowers us as Cornell students to be more effective and empathetic practitioners who will contribute to sustainable public health solutions.
Furthermore, the program teaches us key networking and career exploration skills, empowering us to pursue our passions courageously. We have the privilege of having access to an incredible network of health professionals in every field. I have engaged with this network and have had a variety of impactful experiences. For this reason, I joined the Global Health Student Advisory Board to contribute to meaningful connections amongst my peers and to give back to this community that has transformed my undergraduate education. As a future graduate of the global health and dietetics program at Cornell, I am confident that I am qualified to pursue a career in whichever field calls to me, and I am so grateful to all the faculty and students who make my vision possible.
