Dec 24, 2015 By Suzanne Elliott 4 min read

Elena LaQuatra of Mt. Lebanon is always on the go.

Sometimes you will find the 23-year-old on assignment for her job as a reporter for WTAE’s 4 the 412 digital media team, or at her other job as a model for rue21, at a charitable event, or at the gym. What you won’t find LaQuatra doing is sitting still.

“I have always been a girly girl,” LaQuatra said.

Being a “girly-girl” led to her interest in beauty pageants and the opportunity to meet Heather Whitestone, the first deaf Miss America title holder. What made that meeting especially significant for LaQuatra is that she is also totally deaf, having lost her hearing in both ears at age 4 following a bout of bacterial meningitis.

“She was one of the first people to encourage me,” LaQuatra said of her meeting with Whitestone.

LaQuatra won Miss Pennsylvania Outstanding Teen in 2007 and Miss Pennsylvania Teen USA in 2010. And in early December, she was named Miss Pennsylvania USA and will represent the state in the upcoming Miss USA in 2016.

“I am not competitive,” said LaQuatra, who will hold the Miss Pennsylvania USA title until December 2016. “But, I like having the title. It’s fun, but time consuming and it can be stressful.”

To look at LaQuatra, it’s nearly impossible to tell she has a hearing disability. Her speech is not affected. She wears a cochlear implant in her left ear, which is only visible if she pulls up her hair and points it out.

“I am completely deaf without it,” she explained.

With the encouragement from her parents, Paul LaQuatra and Effie Alexander of Mt. Lebanon, the cochlear implant surgery, and rehabilitation work at the DePaul School for Hearing and Speech in Shadyside, where she recovered her listening and speaking skills, LaQuatra also went on to earn a degree in broadcast journalism at Point Park University. While in college, she also made her reality television debut as a contestant on Greece’s Next Top Model Season 2. (She is part Greek on her mother’s side.)

“I don’t look at my disability as a crutch,” said LaQuatra, who one day hopes to be an entertainment and lifestyles reporter based in Hollywood. “I can do what I want to do.”

Her work at WTAE is varied, though LaQuatra says she tries to focus on the coverage of charitable events. She is active in a number of local charities and organizations including the National Kidney Foundation, Glimmer of Hope, and the Humane Society. In fact, following this interview, she was scheduled to attend a holiday party for the Pittsburgh Social Exchange, a local networking organization.

Then there are her duties as Miss Pennsylvania USA and her upcoming Miss USA competition. Between her two jobs and charitable events, LaQuatra said she is busy with photo shoots, gown fittings and fitness training. She also keeps her crown and sash in her car because she is always on the go.

“I have been getting a lot of requests and have been traveling some,” said LaQuatra, whose appearances so far as Miss Pennsylvania USA have been in the western part of the state. “This is going to be the busiest year of my life.”

Indeed. The upcoming Miss USA event – the date is still not scheduled – is divided into three parts. There are the swim suit and evening gown competitions and a private interview. There is no talent portion of the national pageant, though LaQuatra, an accomplished tap dancer and veteran of more than two dozen musicals, has used that skill before in previous contests.

While free time is a rarity these days for Miss Pennsylvania USA, LaQuatra said she likes to spend time with her boyfriend, Thomas Pasinski, who she met at Point Park. She also likes playing with her two Chihuahuas, Miki and Taco.

“I feel fulfilled when I am helping others,” she said. “It makes me happy.”

She also realizes she can be a role model to young girls who may or may not be faced with a physical disability.

And her advice?

“Be yourself. Don’t fall in with the crowd.”