At the age of 6, Ellena was placed in the foster care system. She spent 7 years in the system moving between 3 different foster home placements. She was lucky enough to have an open adoption at the age of 12. However, at the age of 17, she found the home verbally and emotionally abusive. She decided to move in with a friend's family and stayed there until she went to college. Ellena believes that much of her success is due to how caring and understanding her friend’s family has been. They opened their hearts and home to her in a way all foster children should experience. Due to this privilege she feels responsible for bettering the lives of those in need.
Currently, Ellena is a student at the University of Washington who intends to major in Social Welfare and plans to get a master’s degree. In her spare time, she loves running and playing guitar. One important goal she aspires to achieve is to adopt a foster child with the intent to watch them become a productive member in society.
