Elena LaQuatra
Miss Pennsylvania's Outstanding Teen 2007
Hometown
Mt. Lebanon, PA
School
Mt. Lebanon High School
Scholastic Ambition
To graduate with highest honors from my high school and then to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Biology, followed by a Medical degree.
Career Ambition
To become a neonatologist and/or a pediatrician. Also, to continue to educate the public about hearing loss and the importance of oral deaf education.
Talent
Tap Dance
Platform Issue
Oral Deaf Education...turning a disability into an ability
Scholastic Honors
High Honor Roll each semester for the past 4 years; Advanced Performance (highest rating) for reading and math on the 8th grade Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA); Perfect score on the writing portion of the PSSA; Promising Young Writers finalist; Scored in 90th percentile for all subjects on the 8th grade SAT; Top graduate and eight year student of Greek Language School
Accomplishments
First place winner in the Pittsburgh Public Theatre’s Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest; Member of Allegheny County Girls as Grantmakers (two-year mentoring program for underprivileged girls); Danced with the Moscow Ballet; Promoting Cochlear Implants and Oral Deaf Education at a national level with Heather Whitestone; Initiated program ‘Speaking Through my Deaf Ears’; Justine Magazine cover girl finalist; Modeled in national and regional ads; Have appeared in movies and commercials; Playing in the nationally renowned Mt. Lebanon High School’s Percussion Ensemble
State Competition Sponsor
Miss Pennsylvania's Outstanding Teen Organization
Favorite TV Show
Smallville with Tom Welling!
Favorite Foods
All kinds of Greek food and pastries!
Pets
My trouble-making cat Simba and my lazy cat Zorra
Secret Dream
I have many, but the most significant are: to become a successful doctor and save the lives of many premature babies, to travel the world, to become a famous actress, and to follow in the footsteps of Heather Whitestone as the first deaf Miss America’s Outstanding Teen.
If I could change anything about myself
The one disadvantage of being profoundly deaf is that I’m incapable of singing on key…l would love to be able to sing like Celine Dion!
One of my favorite things to do
Traveling! I love to travel to different countries and learn about the people and cultures (and shop!).