In 1926, she took up Education at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Manila where she also attended a short story writing class under Paz Márquez-Benítez.
The Literary Apprentice, the UP Writers’ Club’s publication, then ran a short story by Latorena titled “A Christmas Tale.” Latorena also wrote poetry under the pseudonym, Mina Lys, which, according to Tanlayco, had a “romantic significance,” for the then young writer.
She became the literary editor of the Varsitarian and published her poems, “Insight” and “My Last Song,” under her nom de plume, Mina Lys.
In 1934, her doctoral dissertation, “Philippine Literature in English: Old Voices and New,” received the highest rating of sobresaliente.
Latorena’s former students include F. Sionil Jose, Nita Umali, Genoveva Edroza Matute, Zeneida Amador, Ophelia Dimalanta and Alice Colet-Villadolid, to name a few.