My First Year in the JWU Culinary Arts Program

Juliet Faas has made it her mission to take part in as much as she possibly can during her eventful first year at JWU Providence’s College of Culinary Arts. In her latest blog post, she writes about what it was like to be an Early Enrollment student at JWU, and reflect on how much she’s grown as a person and as a future chef. Read on:

Eight months ago, I started one of the most amazing journeys in my life. I moved to Providence, Rhode Island, at the end of August and started at Johnson & Wales University shortly thereafter.

After those 8 months, I’ve gained more experience than I could ever have imagined. I am an early enrollment student at JWU — this unique program enables high school students to attend JWU during their senior year. Because of this, I am already sophomore status and will be pursuing my culinary bachelor’s degree next academic year! Words cannot describe how amazing this year has been, and how quickly it flew by.

I wanted to write this blog post to give advice to incoming first-year students. Congratulations and get excited — you are about to experience some of the best years of your life. I will say that many days this year were far from easy. Culinary labs can be stressful but are so rewarding in the end.

"Eight months ago, I started an amazing journey."

I remember walking into day 1 of Cooking in the Global Marketplace with Chef Matthew Britt. Although I was nervous because of how intense the lab seemed, it was hands down one of my favorite labs this year. I walked out of that lab on day 9 more confident and even more excited to continue pursuing my culinary dreams.

All 10 labs I experienced this year equipped me with so much skill and knowledge.

One day during Global, I had to create my own menu, operate the kitchen, and expedite. I had little experience with running a kitchen and being expo (expediter), but I realized that I have developed leadership skills during my time at JWU that pushed me to succeed and conquer these challenging tasks. I created a Mediterranean-style menu that ended up being very successful.

Every single chef changed my life in so many ways. I will never forget how much these skilled instructors impacted me during my time at JWU.

Thank you to everybody who made this year unforgettable, including my family, friends, culinary instructors, and faculty. I can’t wait to make more amazing memories next year. To the incoming Class of 2022: Have the most amazing year ever and savor every second!

BELOW: SCENES FROM JULIET’S EVENTFUL FIRST YEAR AT JWU, INCLUDING HER MIXOLOGY PRACTICAL (BOTTOM).