When Elena Manauis left her hometown in Michigan to attend the University of Kentucky, she knew almost nothing about the Bluegrass State. A scholarship application submitted on a whim became a turning point in her life.
“I didn’t know a single person coming down here,” she recalled. “It was a completely fresh start.”
That leap of faith brought her to a welcoming community where she has made a lasting impact.
At UK, Manauis earned dual bachelor’s degrees in agricultural medical biotechnology and Spanish. When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her senior year, she worked as a phlebotomist at Baptist Health Lexington, spending long days on the front lines. The experience deepened her commitment to health care and made Kentucky feel less like a temporary stop and more like home.
Her perspective on medicine was also shaped by her family. Her father immigrated from the Philippines as a child, and though she didn’t grow up speaking Tagalog, she became fluent in Spanish. That skill opened the door to service with immigrant communities in Lexington.
“It felt like caring for my own family in a way,” she said.
She turned her passion into purpose at Mission Health Lexington, where she volunteered as an interpreter before medical school. “I was helping provide people with access to primary care in their native language, and that meant everything to them. It showed me the power of meeting people where they are.”
After matriculating into the UK College of Medicine, she helped integrate Mission Health into student outreach efforts, creating an orientation scavenger hunt that raises hundreds of dollars’ worth of supplies each year. She also connected classmates to the clinic for shadowing and volunteer opportunities.
Over time, her community involvement continued to grow. As a second-year medical student, she co-managed the Salvation Army Clinic, one of the nation’s oldest student-led free clinics, where she helped streamline workflows, coordinate more than 30 volunteers and secure recertification for essential services. Through her service with the Lexington Latino Health Advocacy Association, a student organization, and the Centro de San Juan Diego, a local nonprofit, she continues to regularly volunteer at health fairs and other community events.
Perhaps the most meaningful has been her mentorship through Amachi, a local nonprofit that serves children impacted by incarceration. For nearly three years, she has been paired with an 11-year-old girl who dreams of becoming a doctor one day.
Together, they attend health fairs, walk dogs or simply bond over Boba tea. “She challenges the way I think about things,” Manauis said. “Sometimes we’re just hanging out, but she’s teaching me as much as I’m teaching her.”
Manauis’ advocacy also extends beyond Kentucky. After losing her grandfather to Lewy body dementia, she became a voice with the Alzheimer’s Association, traveling to Washington, D.C., to meet with legislators about research and funding. “Being able to sit across from senators and share how policies affect families and patients — that helped me find my voice as an advocate.”
Inside the hospital, Manauis has discovered her professional calling in emergency medicine. She was drawn to its fast pace, variety and, most importantly, the many perspectives from patients.
“There are no referrals in the emergency department,” she explained. “We see every person who walks through the door, no matter who they are, where they come from or what language they speak.”
Amid training, she makes space for what grounds her: soccer, hiking with her partner and recently, completing her first marathon. “Medicine will take everything you give it,” she said. “So, you have to protect your humanity. That’s what keeps me grounded.”
For Manauis, medicine has never been just about wearing the white coat. It’s about community, connection and carrying forward her family’s story while building new ones with those she serves.
“My biggest advice to future students is to seek opportunities,” she said. “Cold email that professor, volunteer in your community, step into spaces that matter to you. And remember — it’s a privilege to do this work. That perspective is what keeps me going.”