“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I am what I eat. I am what I feed.

I will nourish the world against people's hunger, planet's thirst, and profit's desire. I will write my own definition of success and fold it into a home-baked fortune cookie. I will leave behind carbon footprints warranted by my size 5 feet.

I will put my money where my mouth is. I will keep my family at the center of my plate and surround them with dishes, stories and love that span generations and continents. I will always stop to savor the blessings of my own hearth and the warmth of my children's embrace.

I will concoct innovative ways to open up markets for entrepreneurs and subsistence farmers near and far. I will stir the curiosity among American consumers that leads to informed choices, better health and conscious living. I will shake one of the oldest industries of human history while sustaining ecosystems that are even older. Should I find myself under heat, I will take pride in my intellectual honesty and my ability to roast, sear and broil without using a potholder.

The world is my oyster. My life will inspire a feast.

— Yanni Liu

The Portrait Project

Each year we ask our classmates a straightforward, simple question taken from the lines of a poem by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Mary Oliver. We share with you intimate and candid responses to this question, "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Concept and photography: Tony Deifell, MBA '02

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