Nasuya, sinimbag ni Lorena an saiyang ina na nagin syang insomniac huli ta tinuturugan nya an mga sabjek nyang Math asin Science. Gusto ni Lorena magkuang Anthropology huli ta nagtutubod sya na “You can’t really take up the present without going to the past.” Apwera kaini, sa sarong interbyu ki Lorna Kalaw-Tirol, nagsabi sya, “My concept of commitment then was in terms of research. I wanted to use my training in Anthropology to do some real research on Philippine society.”:55 Nagkaigwa si Lorena nin seryosong dai pagkakauyon sa saiyang ina, nagrebelde, dangan naglayas sa harong. Kinatapos-tapusan, nagpahunod an ina nya asin nagbalyo si Lorena sa BA Antropology pakalihis nin tulong semestre kan Academic Year 1967–1968. Nakakua sya nin halangkaw na grado asin nakaiba sa honor roll, nagin College Scholar kan semestreng idto asin University Scholar pakalihis nin sarong taon.:18