The September 2007 issue of Smithsonian Magazine was dedicated to “America’s Young Innovators in the Arts and Sciences” – 37 people under the age of 36 were making a name for themselves and were well on their way to eminence in their respective fields. Most of them traced their passion and career focus to a few key experiences. For example, Cristian Samper, Acting Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, said in his editorial introduction: "My own love of science came from a