The PLEN Science and Health Policy seminar not only broadened my knowledge about the confluence of public health and policy, but also exposed me to incredible women, who had taken unconventional career paths to arrive at the amazing place they are in now. Their passion for their work and their desire to make a positive impact on the world was contagious. I came out of PLEN with a newfound confidence in myself, and the comfort of the knowledge that it is okay to embrace the less traveled path in order to achieve your goals. Submitted by Jyotsna Dhakal, after attending PLEN's January 2014 PLEN Science and Health Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C.