Alumni Spotlight: Elisa Varela ’10

From Working-Class Student to Communication Scholar

When Elisa Varela ’10 began searching for a college, she knew she needed a university that would allow her to stay close to home, support her family and continue working both a full-time and part-time job. She found that opportunity at MSU Denver.

“I chose MSU Denver because it felt like a place where students from many different backgrounds could come together and really engage with ideas that matter,” Varela said.

The University’s mission of access resonated immediately. Its flexible scheduling, commuter-friendly campus and inclusive environment made it possible for her to pursue higher education without uprooting her life.

“It allowed me to connect what I was learning in class with the real world while at work,” she said. “MSU Denver made it possible for me to earn my degree while supporting my family.”

A Transformative Academic Experience

Varela describes her undergraduate years as challenging, exciting and deeply formative. In small classes centered on communication, identity and power, she found both academic rigor and personal connection.

“I had many opportunities to have meaningful conversations with professors who cared deeply about those issues,” she said. “When I got to graduate school and found myself in huge lecture halls, I realized how much I missed those small classroom relationships.”

Her favorite courses explored communication and diversity, both subjects that helped her understand how people navigate differences and how communication shapes social and institutional life. These courses set the stage for the graduate and professional path she would later pursue.

Mentorship That Opened Doors

Among the faculty who shaped her journey, Dr. Karen Krupar stood out.

“Dr. Krupar was one of the main reasons I went on to graduate school,” Varela said. “She mentored me, helped me understand how to apply to programs even after I had graduated and, most importantly, she told me she was proud of me.”

As a non-White, working-class student speaking with a working-class woman, Varela felt seen in ways she hadn’t expected.

Her professors served not only as instructors but also as advisors at a time when formal advising services were limited. They guided her through course decisions, research interests and long-term goals.

From MSU Denver Student to MSU Denver Professor

After graduating in 2010, Varela continued to pursue communication academically and professionally. She earned an M.A. in Communication from Colorado State University, followed by a Ph.D. from the University of Colorado Boulder.

In graduate school, her work focused on dialogue, power, identity and democratic participation, themes rooted in her MSU Denver experience.

Today, she is a Professor of Communication at MSU Denver, teaching courses on dialogue, diversity and public discourse. She works closely with students to help them see how communication shapes everyday experiences and social systems.

“It’s exciting to watch students connect what they’re learning in class to their own experiences and to the world around them,” she said.

Connecting Scholarship to Community Impact

Beyond the classroom, she facilitates public dialogues and community assemblies focused on deliberating local issues and strengthening democratic participation.

These projects reflect a commitment to using scholarship for real-world impact, bringing people together, amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering collaboration across differences.

“I’m involved in work that helps residents think collectively about solutions to issues affecting their communities,” she said. “It’s meaningful to connect communication scholarship with real-world conversations.”

Giving Back to the Community That Shaped Her

Returning to MSU Denver as a faculty member is especially meaningful for Varela.

“Being able to teach and mentor students at the same university where I completed my undergraduate degree means a lot,” she said.

MSU Denver not only prepared her academically, it shaped how she thinks about community, equity and education. As a working student balancing multiple jobs, she learned discipline, resilience and how to stay committed to long-term goals.

“These experiences influence the way I approach my career and the students I work with today,” she said.

Advice for Today’s Roadrunners

Varela encourages current and future students to embrace connection, curiosity and conversation.

• Build relationships. “Take advantage of the connections you can build with your professors and classmates.”
• Ask questions. “Follow your curiosity. You don’t have to be ‘right’ to enter conversations.”
• Stay open. “Engage with openness and curiosity. Those conversations will shape your path in unexpected ways.”

Her own story is proof.

“As a working-class student supporting my family while in school, MSU Denver made my education possible,” she said. “There are many paths through college, and with support and determination, those paths can lead to places you may not have imagined.”