Elaine Leigh is a first-year Ph.D. Student in Higher Education at Penn GSE. Her research interests include college access and success, diversity in higher education, and K-16 state and federal policies impacting educational preparation pipelines. Previously, Elaine was Director of Support Services at Steppingstone Scholars, a Philadelphia nonprofit that prepares educationally underserved students for college and career success. In this role, Elaine developed and led several key initiatives including an annual citywide college conference, two summer academic learning programs, and school-year programming involving tutoring, mentoring, career development, college readiness, and individual college counseling. As a Teach For America alumna, Elaine began her career in education teaching middle school science in the School District of Philadelphia and also served as a college counselor for ASPIRA’s TRIO Talent Search program. Additionally, Elaine stays engaged in the Philadelphia community as a board member for SEAMAAC, an immigrant and refugee social service agency, and has previously served on the boards of PhilaSoup and The Spruce Foundation. A native of Seattle, WA, Elaine holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Washington and M.S.Ed. in Urban Education from the University of Pennsylvania.