Elaine is a Bay Area native and has lived in Oakland for over 25 years. She graduated from UC Berkeley and spent years as a union organizer and advocate for racial and economic justice. She went on to earn her Master’s in Education at Holy Names University and trained as an educational therapist, satisfying a deep curiosity about neurodivergence and how our brains learn.

Prior to joining Latitude High in 2022, Elaine served as an education specialist at two other Bay Area high schools. She has created and taught life skills and social skills courses for autistic students, and launched a program to support neurodivergent students with making new friends. Elaine is dedicated to supporting young people in their path to adulthood, and sees her work in the field of special education as a means of disrupting historical patterns of inequity and injustice.

When she’s not working with the amazing community at Latitude, Elaine can be found with her family – hiking, singing, gardening and entertaining their two cats.