Jacqueline La Torre is the Linked Learning Lead Teacher at the Los Angeles School of Global Studies (LASGS), an LAUSD school that focuses on a career pathway of Design & Media for Social Change. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California to immigrant parents (father from Peru and mother from Mexico), she is also a product of the LAUSD schools. She majored in architecture at ELAC and LAHC Community Colleges prior to transferring to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo that included a minor in Psychology. 

She has experience as an architectural and urban designer in large architectural/urban planning firms and leads an afterschool program on campus through the ACE Mentor program, where students network with real professionals in Downtown Los Angeles in these related fields helping students build relationships and career opportunities. She was recently awarded the 2019 ACE Faculty of the Year in the Orange & Los Angeles County regional area.  Her philosophy on the design experience has led her to develop a learn-by doing model in the classroom, a more hands-on approach and teaches students the design thinking process toward problem solving. She brings all her industry experience to the classroom, teaching students college and career readiness, and training students to engage in the design practice much like in any industry office environment.

It is her compassion to aid and support the community that has driven her civic engagement to volunteer with organizations by taking her expertise to aid in disaster relief efforts. Mentoring youth at Dorothy Kirby Correctional Facility evolved a new found passion for teaching and mentoring teens eventually leading her to teach & develop the Design & Media curriculum at LASGS. It was while rebuilding the community she came to the realization that rebuilding begins with restoring the people (students) with much heart and compassion.

In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, traveling, hiking, rollerblading, and sketching.