2382: Sciences Award of Excellence - Iconian Studies

2380: Assigned, Ensign, Daystrom Institute

2381: Transferred, Ensign, Science Team: Meritus I (RNZ)

2383: Transferred, Ensign, Science Officer - USS Icarus

2383: Transferred, Ensign, Science Officer - USS Galaxy

Whenever Elissa looks to the stars, in that moment before her eyes focus, she expects to see the rings of Saturn, whose majestic shape filled the night sky on the home of her youth, Titan. The only daughter of two career entrepreneurs, she always had it set in her mind that she would one day explore the galaxy with them, and Elissa's parents encouraged her natural curiosity. When she was ten, her family embarked on a series of ventures that brought the young girl into contact with many strange worlds and alien beings.

Not caring for the complexities of the business enterprises her mother and father were involved in, Elissa instead spent her time immersed in a cosmopolitan pursuit of knowledge. At the impressionable age of 15, Elissa visited the distant outpost Deep Space Nine, at Bajor. There, she witnessed Starfleet and Bajoran officers working together, and was allowed to sit in during a convention of leading Bajoran & Federation scientists, examining what was known about the species of the Gamma Quadrant. There, she met a handsome young Starfleet cadet, whose stories about life in the Academy and serving on a starship set in Elissa's heart the desire to take part in it. She now perceived a means to pursue that which she loved, and worked toward her goal of joining Starfleet.

But that year was also a dark one, as the Borg attacked Sector 001, devastating much of Titan and killing her parents in the process. As if that wasn't enough, the Dominion War began not long after. Without a home and a family, Elissa began to doubt what direction her life would take. She decided to look at alternatives to Starfleet, as the idea of perpetual war disturbed her too greatly. She enrolled in the Vulcan Science Directorate's "IDIC Study Abroad" program as part of her secondary school education. This program placed her with a number of other candidates spanning many of the Federation's member races, and allowed her to work in a mixed environment without needing to be anywhere near the Dominion War.

When the war ended, Elissa found herself reevaluating the option of working in Starfleet, and upon graduation from her secondary education, made the decision to go forward with her ambitions. Despite her simple desires, however, the universe seemed more than willing to add complication to Skylark's life.

Near-fatal transporter accidents are not unheard of. When the body has been disrupted on the cellular level, there are sometimes lasting repercussions. Elissa was in her first year at Starfleet Academy when she was nearly killed by a pattern buffer malfunction. Since then, she has had recuperative treatment, though Elissa is now unable to bear children. The accident, the loss of her parents, and the mood of the post-war Federation weighed heavily upon her.

She attended counseling throughout the remainder of her Academy years and excelled in her chosen field of Anthropology. Though she was troubled by her condition, Elissa pushed on in her vocation, not giving anyone the slightest hint of the stress she was under. Her first assignment was at the Daystrom Institute cataloguing various finds from Starfleet excavations, and as soon as she was given the opportunity, took on field assignments with other specialists. She grasped at the freedom to move from place to place, never looking back at where she'd been.

After handling a rare Iconian find commendably, she was offered a position that promised frequent travel, aboard the USS Icarus. Service on a starship promised the freedom she craved, but as fast as she might move, she couldn't outrun what was beginning to feel like a cosmic joke, as the Icarus was destroyed during the Romulan conflict against the aggressive Hydrans. Offered a position aboard the USS Galaxy, Elissa quickly accepted, pushing ever forward.

On her best days, Elissa manifests the innocence, spontaneity and candor of a child. For her, simplicity is the keynote; she is averse to all forms of excessive complication. She attempts to seek solutions to any human question by following things back to the source, using her own innate intuition as a guide. Although she is active, Skylark manifests a kind of philosophical detachment in her daily life. She is able to stand back and quietly view a situation, chew over what may be wrong and come up with an insightful and helpful solution.

She can also be somewhat withdrawn from life, even to the point of isolating herself for periods of time. This need for isolation leads to Elissa retreating to familiar and favorite places, such as stellar cartography or the holodeck, where she can simulate the view of the night sky of her childhood home, the looming majesty of Saturn's rings. She experiences isolation for it's own sake, much like the Eastern philosophy of meditation, in the sense of clearing her mind rather than mulling over plans or ideas.