For Lupe Alvarez, curiosity has always been part of how she sees the world.
Growing up in Northern Nevada with three sisters, many of Alvarez’s early memories are tied to the outdoors. Whether it was riding bikes through the neighborhood, spending time near the lakes and desert landscapes of the region or simply exploring with her family, those experiences helped shape the curiosity that would later guide her academic path.
“I always remember being outside,” Alvarez said. “Some of my best memories growing up are just hanging out with my sisters and being outside.”
Today, Alvarez is a graduate student at the Reynolds School of Journalism. After completing her undergraduate studies at the University with degrees in anthropology and archaeology and a minor in Latinx studies, she returned to campus to continue exploring the connections between culture, research and storytelling.
Her family’s history stretches between the American West and Michoacán, Mexico, a background that shaped her understanding of identity, community and the importance of knowing where people come from.
Her family’s history stretches between the American West and Michoacán, Mexico, a background that shaped her understanding of identity, community and the importance of knowing where people come from.
Education has always carried special meaning in her family. Her parents did not have the opportunity to attend college, which made pursuing higher education especially meaningful for her.
Her academic journey began at Truckee Meadows Community College. Like many students, Alvarez explored different interests before transferring to the University to complete her undergraduate degree.
One of the reasons she chose to attend the ҹɫÊÓƵ was familiarity. Her sister had attended the University before her, and the campus environment already felt welcoming.
“Sometimes I try not to be on my phone when I’m walking to class because I want to actually look around and appreciate where I am.”
Over time, the campus itself became something she grew to appreciate even more.
“It’s honestly such a beautiful campus,” she said. “Sometimes I try not to be on my phone when I’m walking to class because I want to actually look around and appreciate where I am.”
While studying anthropology and archaeology, Alvarez became interested in how both disciplines focus on understanding people and culture.
“At the end of the day, anthropology asks questions about culture and people,” Alvarez said. “Archaeology is one way to explore those questions through material history.”
Her work in archaeology has taken her across different landscapes and regions. Through fieldwork and cultural resource management projects, she has worked throughout the Great Basin and traveled internationally, including archaeological work in Belize.
Those experiences helped her realize that research and storytelling often overlap.
Ethnographic research frequently involves documenting communities, oral histories and lived experiences. Photography, documentary work and written narratives often become part of that process.
“You’re not just collecting data. You’re trying to understand people and tell stories in a responsible way.”
“That overlap between anthropology and storytelling really stood out to me,” Alvarez said. “You’re not just collecting data. You’re trying to understand people and tell stories in a responsible way.”
That realization eventually led her back to the University, this time to the Reynolds School of Journalism.
At the Reynolds School, Alvarez began developing skills in science communication and multimedia storytelling. Her interest in science communication grew while she was working as a communications intern at the Desert Research Institute.
At the beginning of the internship, she said she was still figuring out how to translate scientific research into accessible stories for the public. A recommendation from a mentor led her to enroll in a science communication course at the Reynolds School.
“When I started that job, I kind of had no idea what I was doing,” Alvarez admitted. “Someone recommended I take the science communication course, and as the semester went on I realized, wait, I’m kind of good at this — and I actually really enjoyed it.”
The experience helped her see how journalism could bridge the gap between research and public understanding.
“The research itself is important,” she said. “But it’s also important that people understand it.”
One of the opportunities that particularly excited her was joining the Hitchcock Project for Visualizing Science. Through the program, Alvarez will travel with other Reynolds School students to Costa Rica later this year. She will have the chance to produce multimedia stories about biodiversity and environmental research at La Selva Biological Research Station.
For Alvarez, the trip represents a new type of experience. While she has traveled internationally for archaeology, this time she will approach the journey through storytelling rather than excavation.
“This will be the first time I step off a plane into a new country and my main tool will be a camera.”
“I’ve been very privileged to travel doing archaeology,” she said. “This will be the first time I step off a plane into a new country and my main tool will be a camera.”
The opportunity reflects what Alvarez appreciates most about the Reynolds School.
“As long as you have passion for something, you can tell the story in whatever way makes sense,” she said. “You’re encouraged to create.”
Outside the classroom, Alvarez has also developed her storytelling skills through documentary filmmaking. Access to equipment through the Reynolds School’s equipment checkout program has helped make those projects possible.
Last semester, she created a documentary focused on cumbia, exploring the music and dance as forms of cultural expression, resistance and community connection. Although she did not grow up dancing cumbia herself, the project became deeply personal.
“I remember listening to cumbia growing up,” Alvarez said. “Working on that film reminded me how much music and dance can connect people to culture and place.”
The documentary was screened by a Reno-based art collective that supports Black, Indigenous and people of color artists. Being invited to present her work in that space became one of the most meaningful moments of the project.
“That experience was honestly life-changing,” Alvarez said. “It made me realize that I don’t have to fit into just one path.”
Throughout her time at the ҹɫÊÓƵ, Alvarez has also found a strong sense of community. She said her cohort at the Reynolds School has been an important part of that experience, creating an environment where students support and learn from each other.
From classmates and professors to artists and organizers across Reno, those relationships have helped shape her perspective on storytelling and community engagement.
The Reno-Tahoe region continues to influence her work. After spending time traveling and working in different places, returning to Northern Nevada gave her a new appreciation for the area.
“There are so many stories here that people don’t always notice.”
“It really opened my eyes again,” she said. “There are so many stories here that people don’t always notice.”
Looking ahead, Alvarez hopes to continue blending research, storytelling and community work. Whether through journalism, archaeology or documentary filmmaking, she wants to focus on stories that highlight culture, history and lived experience.
For her, those paths are not separate. They are simply different ways of asking questions about the world and sharing what those questions reveal.
“There are so many ways to tell a story,” Alvarez said.
And for Alvarez, the journey of exploring those stories is just beginning.
