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Contact UsCreating Meaningful Experiences: Christian Abeytaβs Roadrunner Story
For Christian David Abeyta β16, choosing Metropolitan State University of Denver was both a practical and personal decision. He wanted an urban campus close to home and one that reflected his community and allowed him to stay connected to friends and family.
βΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ Denver offered the balance I was looking for,β Abeyta said. βAn accessible, inner-city campus with strong academic programs and a community that felt grounded and real.β
For Abeyta, ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ Denver meant being part of a University that not only welcomed him but supported him when he needed it most. As a first-year student, he struggled to find his footing and came close to leaving college altogether.
Then one class changed everything.
A Class That Changed a Trajectory
Abeyta graduated in 2016 with a bachelorβs degree in hospitality, tourism and events, but his path to that diploma was anything but linear. Early in his academic career, βApplied Hotel & Restaurant Operations,β taught by Jackson Lamb, proved transformative.
βAs a struggling freshman, I was close to dropping out,β Abeyta said. βThat class opened my eyes to the possibilities within hospitality and gave me a reason to stay and push forward.β
The hands-on curriculum of the School of Hospitality exemplified ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ Denverβs commitment to blending real-world expectations with rigorous coursework. Professors such as Dr. Gruhl and Dr. Vannucci set high standards while offering mentorship that helped Abeyta build confidence and resilience.
βThey challenged me to think critically, take ownership of my work and push through uncertainty,β he said.
Classes like Wine with Dr. Wray and Legal Aspects with the late Larry Ambrose reinforced that hospitality was not just about service, but about people, adaptability and thoughtful execution.
From Classroom to Career Success
After graduation, Abeyta began working directly in hotel operations, applying the fundamentals he learned at ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ Denver in real-world environments. Those early roles helped him understand guest experience from the inside out, how teams function under pressure and how strong leadership and systems influence service delivery.
Over time, his career evolved into the hospitality technology sector. Today, Abeyta works as an Implementation Specialist II at Impulsify, a 365 Retail Markets company. In that role, he leads complex system implementations for hotels, residential communities and mixed-use properties across the country.
He coordinates internal teams, vendors and on-site staff to ensure operations are set up for long-term success, a process that translates complex processes into clear, usable workflows.
βThe hospitality mindset developed at ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ Denver remains central to my work,β he said. βAdaptability, communication and a focus on the end user.β
Entrepreneurship as a Full-Circle Moment
In 2023, Abeyta co-founded Order My Board, a Denver-based charcuterie and small bites catering business. What began as a creative passion quickly became a thriving venture.
βStarting the company felt like a full-circle moment,β Abeyta said. βIt brought together everything I had learned through my education and professional experience.β
Building Order My Board from the ground up has allowed Abeyta to apply hospitality in its purest form by creating meaningful experiences through food, managing logistics with precision and fostering connection. Running a business alongside his professional role has strengthened his leadership, accountability and problem-solving skills.
Each phase of his career has informed the next, he said. Together, they reflect a career rooted in hospitality, growth and intentional experience-making.
A Legacy of Opportunity
For Abeyta, being a Roadrunner is about more than a degree. Β It is part of a family legacy. His grandmother, cousins and extended family are all ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ Denver alumni, connecting multiple generations through shared values of opportunity and access.
βAttending ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ Denver wasnβt just about earning a degree,β he said. βIt was about continuing a legacy rooted in community and opportunity.β
He stays connected by maintaining relationships with former professors, returning to campus, supporting the University when possible and following the growth of the School of Hospitality.
Advice for the Next Generation
Abeytaβs message to current students is simple and hard-earned:
βListen to your professors. Do the work, show up prepared and take your classes seriously,β he said. βMost importantly, donβt underestimate where ΒιΆΉΤ΄΄ Denver can take you.β
As he looks ahead, Abeytaβs goal is to grow Order My Board into a full-time venture and to expand across Colorado while maintaining the care and quality that define the brand.