Elia started her career at UC Davis in 2013 with Student Housing and then worked as an Academic Advisor in the Biology Academic Success Center, College of Biological Sciences for 7 years before joining the College of Letters and Sciences as an academic advisor in June 2023.

Elia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Multicultural & Gender studies from CSU Chico and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Saint Mary’s College of CA. With over 15 years of experience in Higher Education, she has come to recognize her role as an ally and advocate for students.  As a first-generation college student and now a first-generation professional, Elia is passionate about helping students discover meaning in their work, providing them with advice, guidance, resources, and presenting them with new perspectives and possibilities for consideration. One of her favorite quotes is, "We’re all trying to make a big difference, not realizing the small differences we make for each other every day." –Daphne Rose Kingma.

Outside of work, Elia enjoys traveling, coloring, crafting, gardening, and spending time with her family and friends.