Elisa Torres

Art Teacher and Seventh Grade Class Dean Ms. Elisa Torres says that her foundation as a missionary with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) was the perfect segue into teaching at Oakcrest. 

“Being in FOCUS was a wonderful foundation of learning how to work with young women, as well as mentoring,” she said. “We are given the chance to journey with the students in their faith, but also in their formation as a young woman. When I got the job at Oakcrest I was very happy to be able to continue these gifts of serving young women as a mentor and a teacher. The opportunity to bring my gifts of working with young women and as an artist was a perfect fit.”

Originally from Philadelphia, Ms. Torres graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education and a minor in Art History, her certification in K-12 Art Education was accompanied by experience in both elementary and high school classrooms in the Philadelphia School District. After serving with FOCUS for two years at Stony Brook University in Long Island, New York, Ms. Torres moved to Virginia to teach at Oakcrest. 

Currently teaching sixth and seventh grade art, painting, portfolio preparation, AP Art, and Art Appreciation, Ms. Torres also serves as a class dean to the seventh grade. 

“As a dean, we have a birds eye view of the seventh grade class as a whole, keeping an eye on class dynamics and the class experience as we find creative ways to integrate the virtue of friendship,” she said. 

Along with English Teacher Ms. Anna Cipollone ‘17, who also serves as a seventh grade class dean, the two have started “Lunch Bunch” where seventh graders sign up for a time slot to sit and have lunch with their deans and other peers, which Ms. Torres says they hope to encourage the students to sit down and have conversations with their teachers and peers in a lunch setting. 

“I love getting to know the girls and helping foster a positive class experience for them,” she says. 

Ms. Torres also spends her time as the Set Designer and Technical Director for Oakcrest theatre productions, which she began assisting with in 2023. 

“I absolutely love spending time with the girls who may not feel inclined to perform on stage but want to be a part of the show,” she says. “They have such creative minds and are invested in the arts, and we get to see a really fun side of them whether they are involved in hair and makeup, lights or sound, the run crew, or set painting.” 

When asked what being an Oakie means to her, Ms. Torres said, “I think being an Oakie is being a daughter of God who genuinely cares for the people around her and has been blessed to be embraced by a community that genuinely cares for her as well.” 

“It goes along with pursuing virtue and knowing that the work that we do here is more than just within a school day, it’s caring for the whole human person.” 

Outside of Oakcrest, Ms. Torres manages her own professional art business, selling sacred and landscape art prints and other items. Her work can be found on her website: www.elisamtorres.com. She appreciates how her art business can work alongside her role as an art teacher.

“My personal art practice is both something that feels a part of me and something that I love,” she explains. “On the practical level, I appreciate being able to teach the girls that being an artist is something that they can legitimately consider when thinking about their future. It is a unique path, and every artist’s parth is completely different, but it is an option for them. It may be a less traditional path which can be daunting, but I’m able to share this with some of the girls who may thrive in art and who might not thrive in other subjects.” 

“It’s really good for the students to know that the teachers love their subjects and not just teaching it, but also living it,” Ms. Torres said.