A Chicago native, Latriece’s passion for education and social justice evolved in undergrad through her contributions to research on positive youth development while participating in the PACCT Lab (Parents And Children Coping Together) at Loyola University (Chicago) which examined exposure to community violence and coping strategies for youth and families of color. Her work as a research fellow for Loyola’s Center for Urban Research and Learning and experience in program evaluation at Thresholds, the largest mental health center in Chicago focused on keeping individuals in the community, made her recognize how the disparity caused by lack of access to education and opportunities impact individual and community health and well-being.

Latriece further explored her interest in education and human development in her work as an admissions counselor, volunteer career coach, and center director for an afterschool tutoring company. She also worked as an adjunct instructor for Coyne College in career development, and most recently as a corporate trainer in education and employee development. Her continued commitment to education and social justice is served through her work as a Ph.D. candidate at Pacifica Graduate Institute where she studies depth psychology with a specialization in community, liberation, indigenous, and eco-psychology where she has co-written principals on a decolonial classroom and completed fieldwork on the economic impact and disparity of COVID-19 on underserved communities. 

Latriece also worked as a community organizer while co-leading the Grassroots Reparations Campaign where she co-created and facilitated a course on reparations, organized faith-based and racial justice organizations, and promoted programming for rising organizers/activists cultivating work in social justice. She currently resides in Hartford, CT.

“There are a lot of misconceptions regarding the learning capability of our youth. Academic excellence and merit are often universally applied, but the conditions which allow a student to flourish range differentially. If a population of students is not excelling, it is not the aptitude of students as much as the failure to provide the conditions for students to flourish. I do this work to attempt to level the playing field for underserved communities and provide access to opportunities for them to succeed.”