An Inside Look at Johnson & Wales University in Denver

If only I could spend my days in a creative classroom, learning about cool new crafty, artistic or maker things. Today I'm going to share an inside look at Johnson & Wales University in Denver. JWU Colorado invited me to visit their campus and learn about the variety of programs they offer. I spent an afternoon touring the campus, hanging out with my son and wishing I could go back to college. Here's what I learned…

An Inside Look at Johnson & Wales University in Denver

We took a student lead tour of the JWU Denver Campus. It's a small university in a beautiful setting right in the heart of Denver.  We learned about the variety of programs offered, some campus history, and met so many great people… both faculty and students. Our tour guide, Zach was full of insight and answered all my questions. We got a peek at just about every building on campus, even one of the dorm rooms. I loved hearing about the history of this gorgeous building (above), after hosting the Colorado Women's College for a number of years, it sat empty for 30+ years! It was just renovated and reopened as part of JWU last year.

Everywhere you look at JWU, there's something interesting to see or learn. From the campus to the classes, there are beautiful details and inspiring information. Wildcats: Pride, Courage, Character and Community is the school motto. I spoke with a number of faculty members and got a great sense of community, it felt like a big family. Everyone was eager to share what they were working or what they enjoyed on campus. My son even ran into an old high school buddy!

I've always known of Johnson & Wales to be the school to attend for a stellar culinary program, but I learned there is so much more to this private university. The Colorado campus is one of 4 around the country, Denver being one of the newest. One really great perk of being a JWU (j-woo) student, once admitted into the university, you can enroll in classes at any of the campuses.That's a pretty cool opportunity. Each campus offers many of the same programs, but they also offer a little variety between them.

Programs cover a range of majors from Culinary Arts and Hotel Management to Business Administration or Criminal Justice. I was most surprised to hear about their program in Entrepreneurship. What a great opportunity to learn how to be your own boss instead of just jumping into the deep end like I did!

One of the best features of JWU is their Experiential education focus. I love this approach to learning. At Johnson & Wales classes are hands on. Students aren't just observing and absorbing information, they are creating as they learn.

JWU offers a number of additional experiences for students to learn and get involved. Students are encouraged to participate in the university’s robust study abroad program. JWU offers a variety of collegiate varisty sports and has a variety of student clubs.

I think my favorite part of the tour was having the opportunity to enjoy a meal with the Dean of Culinary Education, Jorge de la Torre. We dined in restaurant environment that was actually a front of the house/back of the house class. The food was made by students. The venue was managed by students. We had a great conversation about the university, how the students participate and Jorge's experience as a member of the campus leadership. He's been with JWU for 14 years!

Take a little tour with me around campus…

We really enjoyed our time learning about JWU. Whether you are looking for a degree in business management or are dreaming of becoming a pastry chef, it's definitely worth a look. Thank you for having us Johnson & Wales University. We enjoyed our visit!

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Connect with Johnson & Wales Denver Campus:
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnson & Wales University. The opinions and text are all mine.