Inspired & Inspiring: Mariah Contreras '23

Driven by her parents’ commitment to her education, Johnson & Wales student Mariah Contreras '23 had long set her sights on a career in the medical field.

A first-generation college student, Contreras found what she was looking for at JWU’s Denver Campus.

“It’s really nice to make my parents proud," says the Health Science major. “I’m also doing it for myself. I know how hard I can work, and I know what I can do when I work hard. Johnson & Wales has given me that platform to do that.”

Originally from New Mexico, Contreras has benefited from JWU’s class sizes and approach to education, including the building of relationships with faculty.

“There’s a place for everybody,” she says of the Denver Campus. “The buildings look like castles. I feel like royalty here.”