Mariana Irizarry

Hi! I’m Mariana Irizarry, from the Dominican Republic. I just finished two years at UWC Costa Rica, which was honestly life-changing. Being in such a diverse environment helped me learn a lot about myself and opened my mind to different cultures and different points of view.

I’m planning to major in chemistry because my dream is to create my own skincare line that’s both effective and tailored to different skin needs. I’ve always been curious about how things work at the molecular level, especially when it comes to what we put on our skin. I’m also really interested in doing a minor in Entrepreneurial Leadership and Innovation to build the skills I’d need to start something of my own one day.

That’s part of why I chose Lewis & Clark! I loved the idea of small classes and getting to actually know my professors. Plus, the campus is beautiful, surrounded by nature, and Portland seems like such a nice place, especially since it’s home to a few sustainable cosmetics companies I could maybe explore or intern with down the line.

Outside of school, I love anything creative, such as painting, ceramics, scrapbooking, you name it. I also love reading and learning about new topics, especially through video essays, podcasts and articles online. Nature, geology, and traveling are also big passions of mine.

Speaking of travel, I’ve been lucky to visit places like Curaçao, Honduras, Canada, Colombia, the UK, and the US. But the place I got to know the most was definitely Costa Rica. Although I didn’t cross everything off my travel list, I took every opportunity I had to explore and see new places, as it’s something that truly excites me!

Something interesting about me is that one of my biggest goals is to go back to the Dominican Republic one day and work to improve access to science and education overall. Whether that’s through an NGO or with the government, I want to help strengthen the education system, because I truly believe that progress and a better society start with quality education.