Elle Rathbun (she/her/hers) is a former UCLA Financial Wellness Graduate Consultant and a current Ph.D. candidate in Neuroscience. She earned dual bachelor's degrees in Neuroscience and Biological Sciences from the University of Chicago.

Before working with Sara at UCLA Financial Wellness, Elle served as a panelist for the national non-profit QuestBridge, supporting alumni from low-income backgrounds. She also taught undergraduate students in a Stanford University summer program, helping them navigate financial considerations related to graduate and medical school applications.

Elle has developed and delivered a specialized financial literacy workshop tailored to the graduate student experience, which she has presented at both UCLA and the University of Chicago. She plans to continue expanding this work in collaboration with QuestBridge, UCLA, UChicago, Stanford, and other academic institutions.

Elle views money as “freedom units”—a means of achieving security through adaptability and flexibility. She shares, “I know firsthand how money situations can make or break people, and how thin that line can be. The rigid nature of graduate school funding can leave students vulnerable to upheaval, even when it's beyond their control. That’s why I’m committed to sharing financial knowledge—it can have a direct and immediate impact on someone's quality of life.”

Her areas of expertise include credit, investing, Roth IRAs, budgeting, emergency fund building, savings strategies, financial caregiving, and helping individuals break cycles of poverty. She takes a holistic approach to financial education and is especially passionate about supporting graduate students, young professionals, and individuals who have experienced housing instability—whether personally or through helping family members.

Fun Facts: Elle enjoys painting and pyrography (woodburning art), and she loves spending time outdoors camping!