New Faculty Member: Veronica Herrera
Veronica Herrera joins our Early Childhood faculty as the new Outdoor Classroom Learning Specialist. She answers some questions about herself below!
What inspired you to work with kids?
It’s really true when they say that one person can make a big difference.
When I graduated high school, I had no idea what career path I wanted to take. I took a few classes at community college and that is where it all changed. I took Child Development 101 as a prerequisite class my second semester. The subject interested me but not enough to consider that as a career path. The passion and love that radiated from the professor when she talked about young children was contagious. I wanted to feel that. I wanted to love children and their development the way she did. When she talked about young minds her eyes glowed and you felt her heart. I knew that I wanted to work with children from there on. That class helped me decide to make child development my major and career path.
What is your favorite thing/hobby to do outside of school?
Outside of school, I enjoy hanging out with friends and family. I love catching up over coffee or having them over for a BBQ. I also enjoy cooking with my son. He is three years old and he loves to help out in the kitchen. He loves to help stir things in or gather ingredients from the fridge. Although most times the process takes longer and is messier, I enjoy those short moments with him. We also like to go for walks in Old Town or Balboa Park. As a family, we take that time to decompress and catch up. Walking through Old Town with a mug of coffee is one of my favorite things to do.
What is something interesting about you that the Gillispie community wouldn’t know?
I love to coupon! I love the thrill from a good deal. I got into couponing recently, thanks to my mom. She’s been couponing for almost two years. I’m still getting the hang of how it works, but it’s something I really enjoy and It’s bonding time for my mom and me. I love saving money but love spending time with her even more. I have an abundance of toothpaste, shampoos and conditioners, razors, and makeup remover wipes. I hope to be able to have enough hygiene supplies to put together care packages by December. I would like to pass them around to the homeless community downtown with the help of my family.
Another interesting thing about me is my obsession with coffee mugs. I probably have about 30 different coffee cups and I can tell you exactly who gave it to me and when. One of my absolute favorites is an oversized red cow-shaped cup my little sister bought me last year. I have an upcoming trip to Portland, and I can’t wait to see what kind of mugs they have out there.
