Elena joined WAGES in November 2011 as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at WAGES. An avid believer in economic and social justice initiatives and a supporter of small business, Elena is serving as the Communications and Development Associate.

Elena has worked at a variety of nonprofits ranging from a large philanthropic organization to a youth empowerment program. She received a grant to travel to Peru to complete a self-designed photojournalism project and she studied abroad in Costa Rica. Most recently, she completed a fellowship at a public policy center that promotes ideas that help individuals and families access opportunity and move toward self-sufficiency. In this role, she researched and advocated for issues such as immigrant rights, expanding childcare subsidies for working mothers, anti-discrimination policies, and state budget issues. Elena graduated from Colorado College with a degree in International Political Economy and a minor in Central American Language and Society.