My name is Elena, I’m 19 years old, and I’m from Glastonbury, Connecticut, which is right next to our state capital, Hartford.
In my free time, I love to do crossword puzzles, practice gymnastics, and read. I also enjoy baking (cookies, especially) and watching my favorite TV shows. My absolute favorite thing to do, though, is to travel! The first big trip I remember going on was to Niagara Falls, which is a huge waterfall on the border between the United States and Canada, right along a very big lake. At age 7, seeing Niagara Falls was the most exciting thing I had ever done. Afterward, all I wanted was to see more of the cool things I saw in National Geographic books, or in the screensavers on my home computer. Luckily, my mom loved traveling just as much as me, so we did our best to find time and money to go on fun new trips. One time, we even got to drive across the country, from Connecticut to California! The new things I saw and the people I got to meet have made me smarter, kinder, and just a better person overall. I hope to share some of the lessons I have learned with you, so you can grow, too!
Want to know more about how you can study or intern abroad when you are a college student? The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE). Learn more about the scholarship by clicking here!
