Hello, I’m Torrence.

I am a 7th Grade Language Arts educator in Denver, CO, and am currently a graduate student in the Learning Sciences & Human Development program in the School of Education at the University of Colorado Boulder

My research interests uses qualitative methods to explore how schools shape Black adolescents racial and political consciousness, as well as how do schools become and act as sites of Black suffering and anti-Black violence. My work involves conceptualizing Black suffering, unpacking the relationship between racism, education, and adolescent development, examining the ways anti-Blackness persist in social justice oriented schools; as well as examining what ways does anti-Blackness persists in education policy discourses on the worth of investment in Black children

I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, with a minor in Africana Studies, from the University of Northern Colorado (UNCO), where I was a Ronald E. McNair Scholar. As a McNair scholar, I conducted program award-winning research exploring how Black students navigated and made sense of the racism they experienced while attending a Historically White College and University, and ultimately the effects of racism (resulting in Racial Battle Fatigue) on them.

I began my teaching career as a high school teacher. I’m currently in middle school and love every moment of it! I truly value being part of students’ academic and social development.

My site contains my CV, information about my research and teaching. Feel free to contact me here.