 Pence was born in South Dakota, and raised in El Paso, Texas, Pence pursued her BFA at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.In 1970 while living temporarily at The Rehearsal Club (New York) and attending a Martha Graham Summer Program, she auditioned for "The Rothschilds" and put her studies on hold.Pence received an Honors BA in Communications from Fordham University in 2000.