Background:

Elena Grace Duncan is a senior, finishing out her year as a student of the class of 2019, having been at Cape Henry Collegiate for 6 years. Born and raised in LA, Elena and her family, consisting of her mother, father, and older brother, moved to Virginia Beach due to her father’s job when she was 11 years old. She began Cape in 6th grade, not having gone to any other school. She has a sizeable family, her mother having three sisters and one brother and her father having two sisters and one brother, all living in different parts of the country

Interests:

Elena enjoys history, per her first response to the question of what her favorite subject is in school, but then went on to say that she also enjoys English, mentioning her hatred for the novel Hamlet. Elena also expressed her love for music, singing, and musical theatre; her list of accomplishments and involvements in those areas are extensive. Little pastimes of Elena’s consist of eating, watching netflix, and hanging out with friends. She also loves taking pictures of anything she believes is beautiful, and traveling, her favorite trip taken having been to Santorini, Greece.

Something most people don’t know about her:

She moved her when she was 11 from LA. Although that fact may seem huge and monumental in the grand scope of her life, not many people know that Elena isn’t from the small town of Virginia Beach like most of the people living here are.

Best experience:

Her first nexus trip was Elena’s immediate response to her best experience. She says the nexus trip opened her eyes to how other people live in the world, stepping outside of the bubble of Virginia Beach and venturing out to immerse herself in a new country and culture.

Toughest experience:

Moving across the country was the best, and toughest experience of Elena’s life, and she describes the move as hard, but good to learn from. Any move is hard on a young kid, especially one whose life is so deeply rooted in one place that is all they’ve ever known, so Elena’s move proved to be hard, but worthwhile for all the wisdom and maturity it granted her.

Accomplishments:

Funnily enough, Elena’s greatest accomplishment, after hard thought, is her multitude of awards won in 6th grade: 3 in total. She wittily commented that she was good at math in middle school.

Lessons Learned:

You can’t change how people act, but you can control how you act

Hopes and Plans for Future:

In the future, Elena sees herself as married, having a job, and being well-traveled, basic dreams of mostly every teenage girl, but ones that suit her well and that she would like to feel successful in, which she undoubtedly will.

Last Random:

Her favorite season is winter because during that time, she likes reflecting and acknowledging who you’re thankful for.