Alumni Spotlight: Nicolette DiPietro ’05

From Restaurant Floors to Rural Education: How MSU Denver Sparked a Lifelong Educator

Finding a Path Through Access

When Nicolette DiPietro ‘05 began searching for colleges, she wasn’t looking for prestige, she was looking for access.

“I wanted a school in a fun location that would accommodate my GPA and didn’t require living on campus,” she said. MSU Denver fit that vision perfectly. The University’s commitment to opening doors for students from all backgrounds allowed her to imagine a future she hadn’t yet thought possible.

At first, she expected she would pursue a business degree. Having worked in restaurants, it seemed like the practical choice. Then she discovered she could major in Hospitality, specifically restaurant management, and everything clicked.

That moment of clarity set the stage for a career defined by curiosity, grit and a profound belief in the power of education to change lives.

Discovering Academic Excellence

Her time at MSU Denver offered something she hadn’t experienced before: teaching that inspired confidence.

By the end of high school, she said she could barely imagine starting college, let alone finishing. But MSU Denver changed that. Professors such as Dr. Dienhart, Dr. Vannucci and Professor Sorensen helped her see learning not as an obstacle but as an invitation.

“I was able to focus on academics while on campus and work when I left, which was exactly what I wanted,” she said. More importantly, the experience reignited her love of learning.

Halfway through her degree, she realized she wanted to teach hospitality. That realization set her on a path toward advanced education, first a master’s degree in education, then a doctorate. “None of this would have been possible if MSU Denver hadn’t transformed my perception of learning and teaching,” she said.

Building a Career Rooted in Real-World Experience

After graduation in 2005, she spent ten years operating an independent restaurant, an immersive, hands-on training ground for leadership, management and problem-solving. That practical foundation helped her transition into higher education, where she taught hospitality and later moved into administrative roles such as Program Coordinator, Culinary and Hospitality Director, and leader of a student-run restaurant and multiple academic programs.

Driving Social Mobility in Rural Colorado

Today, as the Special Programs and Grants Coordinator for Colorado River BOCES, she is shaping the future of K–12 education across rural communities from DeBeque to Aspen.

For the past four years, she has:

• Built a synchronous teaching program to help schools overcome teacher shortages
• Expanded work-based learning opportunities across the region
• Led grant writing, management and reporting to secure funding for essential educational programs

The work is complex and collaborative. She partners with professionals in exceptional student services, alternative licensure, work-based learning, finance, HR and school leadership.

“What’s most interesting is seeing both the behind‑the‑scenes grant work and the real change it creates in classrooms,” she said.

Her leadership today reflects MSU Denver’s goal of ensuring students in rural communities, regardless of zip code, have access to high-quality learning opportunities.

Staying Connected to Her Roots

She still finds ways to reconnect with the University that launched her journey. She attends traveling alumni events and keeps in touch with faculty and programs in the hospitality department that helped shape her career.

Advice for Today’s Roadrunners

Her message to current and future students echoes the values that transformed her own life:

“Stay curious, take risks and embrace opportunities, even the intimidating ones. College isn’t just about earning a degree. It’s about discovering what excites you, building confidence and realizing what you’re capable of. Challenge yourself. Ask questions. Step beyond your comfort zone. The effort you put in now will open doors you can’t yet imagine.”