Hey!

I'm glad that you're here! If you're on this page, that means I'm probably your RA for this upcoming year (yay!). There's probably also a good chance you're wondering who I am - who you'll be living with and seeing regularly for the next nine months. Allow me to introduce myself:

 

Bonjour! My name is Elena, and I believe that the key to happiness is to prioritize your health, laugh often, and find a reason as to why every day should be the best day of your life.

 

I'll admit, there's a lot going on in that sentence. Just continue reading and everything will begin to make sense. 

 

I am 20 years old - almost 21! - and I love to be active. I've played sports my entire life: ballet, soccer, basketball, softball, baseball, cross country, track and field. You name it, I've probably tried it. Now, being in my third year of college and having some rather tight time constraints, I have gravitated more towards independent styles of movement - walking, running, weight lifting -  but being active remains a huge part of what keeps me sane and feeling happy in my life. Health is wealth, after all.

 

That's a foundational belief of mine that, believe it or not, explains a huge part of who I am. This includes my field of study!

 

I am a junior in the biomedical engineering program at Penn State. I am fascinated by the human body and the level of mechanical properties that are essential in performing even the seemingly most basic activities throughout the day. 

 

 

I love the study of the human body so much, in fact, that I participated in a study abroad program in spring semester 2025 dedicated entirely to the movement during the Renaissance period in Italy to understand and accurately portray the human body.

 

While abroad in Italy, I was fortunate enough to witness the historical evidence portraying the sheer proportion of humanity who has committed their lives and legacies to understanding and improving the human condition. I would be honored to use my career as an opportunity to join this cause, using innovation and mechanical design to improve the lives of others.

 

(<--me standing at the entrance to the Colosseum)

 

 

That said, being a scientifically oriented person is but one of the infinitely many ways to interact with the opportunities this life has to offer. If nothing else, be curious about everything that is new and different, scary and unfamiliar. Listen to your heart when it's telling you to try something new, and trust your mind and your ability to carry out that task well.

 

I, myself, am speaking from experience. Three of the activities that I do well in and adore - piano, using French, and drawing - are the activities that I decided to pursue because I listened to that calling from my heart.

 

(just some of my drawings throughout the years)

 

 

Voilà. You've now learned (actually, quite a decent bit) about who I am.

 

If there's one thing I want you to take away from all of this, my future residents, it's that college is a time of enormous growth. Everyone is on his own independent path. These are simply a few of the countless lessons that I've learned in just my three years of studying at university, and I often had to make mistakes and take the wrong road before finding the right one. Be patient with yourself, try to make the most of everyday, and trust the process (more explicitly, trust yourself!). After all, you're all pretty amazing - it's about time you realized that.

 

I look forward so much to meeting and getting to know each and every one of you throughout the year. Take care.

 

Sincerely (et à très vite),

 

Elena :)

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