AMNA NAWAZ: Sometimes, the right learning# environment can change everything.

For Courtney Irwin, that place was a# youth development center in Salinas,## California.

Tonight, she shares her# Brief But Spectacular take on how## cooking and community helped her to find her way.

COURTNEY IRWIN, Restaurant Manager:# My earliest memory of cooking,## I believe I was probably about# 12 years old.

I had told my dad,## I was like: "Oh, I want to go to Olive# Garden.

They have chicken Alfredo."

And he was like: "We have so many# kids in the house.

We're going to## make it at home."

And we made it# for the whole house.

We probably## made like five pounds of pasta.

And# I was like, oh, I like to do this.

My childhood growing up in Salinas, it# was rough.

I ran into a lot of problems## in school.

I was constantly ditching.

I# was bullied.

And when I did make friends,## they were not the best of friends.# It leaded me to getting into trouble.

First, I ended up expelled and then I# ended up on probation.

So the person## who ran me to Rancho Cielo, his# name was David.

He was my truancy## probation officer at the time.

I would# always bring banana bread and cookies.

And he was like: "You know what, I think I# found a good -- the perfect place for you to## be where you could bake and get away from all# the people that you're interacting with now."

I definitely think by coming to the ranch it# stopped me from continuing to get myself in## trouble, where I would have ended up# in jail.

It gave me a safe place and## a sense of myself.

One week, you're in# the kitchen getting hands-on training## and the next week you're in the classroom# working on your credits and catching up.

Not having to be in the classroom all week, every# week is such a drastic change.

They send you out## to do big events, Meals on Wheels.

You work in# different hotels.

I remember one time I made## these lemon pound cake cupcakes and I filled them# with the lemon curd with the cream cheese frosting And, like, still to this day, I dream about# those.

If I had the opportunity to talk to## 16-year-old Courtney, I would tell her to stop# and listen.

You still have a lot of growing to do.

My name is Courtney Irwin,## and this is my Brief But Spectacular# take on finding my place where I .. AMNA NAWAZ: And you can watch more Brief# But Spectacular videos on our Web site.