Elena Van Lare

Elena has enjoyed over 30 years of experience as a middle school and high school literature and writing teacher. She grew up in the Finger Lakes area of New York, where her very first high school job included tying grape vines for one of the iconic wineries in the area. She later earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Old Dominion University in Virginia. However, her love of theater, acting, and writing led Elena to share her passion with others; she completed her teaching credential and Master’s degree in Education at Nazareth College of Rochester in New York.

As she embarked upon a career of inspiring teenagers to realize their own potential, she also met her husband, moved from New York to Los Angeles, and had two children. After returning to New York to be closer to family, Elena taught English at the high school and college level for Brockport High School and SUNY Brockport for eleven years. As their children entered middle school, Elena and her husband decided to show their children the world by accepting positions as international teachers, which led them through the next ten years of their lives. They enjoyed teaching at top-tier schools in Myanmar, Jordan, Thailand, and Singapore, while their children graduated high school with IB Diplomas in Southeast Asia.

Elena currently lives in New York City with her husband, her adult children nearby, and the newest addition to the family: Dachshund Sammy. When she’s not working, Elena loves watching the Food Network, Master Chef, and any other platform offering cooking competitions (she is a horrible cook, but loves to eat)!  Elena is an Academic Dean and teaches full-time at Dwight Global, and she is truly excited to work with students at HelloCollege!