Celebrating 2026 Alumni Scholarship Recipient: Elena Haffner
At Girls on the Run of South Central Wisconsin, we are continually inspired by the incredible young women who carry the lessons of Girls on the Run into their schools, communities, and futures. Today, we are proud to spotlight Elena Haffner, one of our 2026 Girls on the Run SCWI Alumni Scholarship recipients.

Elena participated in Girls on the Run beginning in fall 2016 at New Century Elementary School before continuing the program from 3rd through 5th grade at Glacier Edge Elementary School. Through her years in GOTR, Elena developed confidence, resilience, and a passion for uplifting others- qualities that continue to shape the leader she is today.

Dreaming Without Limits
When Elena reflects on her Girls on the Run experience, one lesson stands out most: learning to dream boldly.

“If you’ve ever had a really big dream, something that you’d like to do but aren’t sure that you can accomplish, then Girls on the Run is for you,” Elena shared. “It teaches you to dream without limits.”

From applying to her dream college to performing onstage in front of hundreds of people, Elena says the confidence she first built in GOTR has helped her pursue opportunities she once thought felt intimidating. She learned that small accomplishments and daily perseverance can lead to incredible growth over time.

Another lesson Elena carries with her is the importance of confidence and community.

“Confidence is a skill, and every girl can learn it,” she explained. “Also, GOTR gives you a community, and leaning on other women is so valuable.”

One of Elena’s favorite GOTR memories is completing her first 5K and cheering on her teammates as they crossed the finish line together—a moment that showed her the power of encouragement, connection, and supporting one another.

Leading With Kindness and Purpose
The lessons Elena learned through Girls on the Run continue to guide the way she leads and serves others today.

She credits GOTR with teaching her positive ways to care for her physical, mental, and emotional health while encouraging her to embrace her authentic self. As she grew older, Elena focused on using kindness and empathy to help others feel seen and supported.

At Verona Area High School, Elena has served as a peer mentor for a suicide prevention club, helping students build resilience by identifying their strengths. She has also worked to uplift others as a co-captain of her high school dance team, encouraging teammates, advocating for peers, and helping create a positive team environment.

Elena’s passion for service also extends into her community involvement. As a leader in her district’s Two-Way Immersion Student Advisory, she helps provide student perspectives to district administrators. Inspired by her own family experiences and noticing disparities in swim instruction access for Spanish-speaking youth, Elena created a bilingual swim instruction capstone project to help more students gain lifesaving skills.

“This spring, my capstone will become a reality as I teach swim skills in both languages,” Elena shared.

Through every role she takes on, Elena embodies the Girls on the Run core values of compassion, confidence, inclusion, and leadership.

About the Girls on the Run Alumni Scholarship
Since our first season in 2005, Girls on the Run of South Central Wisconsin has empowered thousands of girls through a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running with social-emotional learning.

Now, many of our early participants are young women navigating adulthood with the confidence, compassion, and life skills they developed through Girls on the Run.

The Girls on the Run Alumni Scholarship recognizes and celebrates former program participants who continue to bring the organization’s core values to life. Scholarship recipients are named “Sara Scholars” in honor of Sara Pickard, the first Executive Director of Girls on the Run of South Central Wisconsin, whose passion for investing in the women of tomorrow helped shape this meaningful opportunity.

Each year, two $2,500 scholarships are awarded to past Girls on the Run or Girls on Track/Heart & Sole participants to support their post-secondary education.