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Elena was born and raised in Queens, New York. During four years in a tiny Iowan liberal arts college, studying comparative religion, she developed a curiously strong affinity for the Midwest and had the opportunity to live and study in South India. After college, she served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in West Java, Indonesia. Following that, Elena moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and worked for Public Allies, a national leadership development program, and advised low-income high school students on their college options, applications and financial aid. She is fortunate to have worked in extraordinary communities: from theater programs in the Bronx to prisons in Iowa and high schools in Java—all of which have deepened her commitment to serving others through education. She returned home to NYC and joined Summer Search as the College Counselor in August 2008.
Updated February 2009