Outstanding Student

Despite all the corn blocking her view, Ella Jo Allen had no trouble envisioning her future at an early age.

“I've known I wanted to study hospitality management since I was 15 and started my first job in a restaurant,” said Allen, who hails from Sullivan, Ill., which she describes as “a small farming town in the middle of a cornfield.”

Throughout high school Allen wore many different hats at Old School Essenhaus, an Amish restaurant in Sullivan. “I worked in the front of the house, I worked in the back of the house, I did pretty much every job you can imagine in that restaurant,” said Allen of the experience that sparked her interest in the hospitality field.

While she had strong roots in the Midwest, Allen suspected she wanted to go elsewhere for college, a hunch that brought her to the University of Denver. “The minute I set foot on campus, I knew DU and I were a perfect match,” said Allen. “The size of the school, DU's program in Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management, the location. I was walking through campus wearing a t-shirt and sunglasses and there was snow on the ground,” she continued. “If you know anything about winter in Illinois, you understand why I never thought this was possible. I was sold.”

Only one thing stood in her way: tuition. “It was an unrealistic amount of money for my family to pay every year, especially when I was offered substantial scholarships at the University of Illinois and Purdue University” said Allen. “But no matter how open-minded I tried to be, I couldn't get excited about any other school besides DU. I had my heart set on it.”

Determined to attend DU, Allen quickly became a good juggler. She worked 20 to 30 hours each week at the restaurant throughout her senior year of high school while contending with classes, homework and a staggering number of extracurricular activities like volleyball, choir, track, theater and student council. Despite her work ethic, Allen knew she still wouldn't have enough money to pay DU tuition. “So I applied to every scholarship I could possibly qualify for,” said Allen, who was able to pay for her four years at DU by piecing together student loans, and financial support from DU and various organizations outside the University.

“I've received a priceless education,” said Allen. “I've taken incredible classes from incredible professors and attended seminars of successful industry leaders. I've participated in an eight-day culinary arts and wine tour of Italy, where I was able to taste Tuscan grapes right off the vine and watch parmigiano-regiano cheese be made – all for free. Also included in my tuition was five months traveling Europe and studying hospitality in Switzerland. The opportunities I've been given at DU have been unbelievable.”

Allen graduated last spring and finished training with Hillstone Restaurant Group in October of last year at Houstons Restaurant in Santa Monica, CA. Hillstone operates more than 60 restaurants across the U.S. and Ella is now managing one of their restaurants called Cafe R & D in Newport Beach, CA.

“All the people who've contributed to the scholarships I've received have allowed me to be as successful as I can be,” said Allen. “I had a capacity for success that all those people helped me realize.”

You can invest in outstanding students like Ella. Contact us at 1-800-448-3238 or 303-871-2739, or e-mail us at gift-planning@du.edu.