As eloquently stated by Dr. Janucz Korczak, "Children are not people of tomorrow, but people today. They are entitled to be taken seriously. They have a right to be treated by adults with tenderness and respect, as equals."

Elina traded her electrical engineering career for advanced study of gifted education in order to seek guidance and resources for her gifted son. This quest dovetailed with lifelong passions for art, science, and mathematics and led to discovering her calling as a math educator.

A firm advocate of integration of the mind and the heart, Elina holds a profound belief in taking care of both the cognitive and the affective aspects of the self. Her approach is holistic. The children are respected, listened to, and taken seriously. Her students become invested in and take responsibility for their own learning.

For the past eight years, Elina has been teaching at the Russian School of Mathematics in-person and virtually. She has also successfully tutored students privately in high school math and standardized test prep, and taught several courses at the Northwestern University Center for Talent Development. She is on staff at the Center for Identity Potential, where her unique approach is especially suited to serving the needs of gifted/neurodiverse young people.

As a mathematics educator, Elina ensures that her students gain mathematical mastery and confidence. She imparts the sense of joy and beauty of mathematics to her students, allowing them to see math as a means of understanding the world.