Early Life and Education

Monica Herrera started out wanting to become a dentist; however, that dream quickly was set aside because of her mother, who told her to pursue an unconventional path for women at the time: journalism. She attended the University of Concepción in the Biobio Region of Chile, where she trained as a reporter under influential figures such as Alfredo Pacheco, a recipient of the National Journalism Award. His mentorship inspired her to support her peers, shaping her passion for education. Although initially focused on journalism, Herrera's career expanded into advertising with agencies like McCann-Erickson and Grey, and later marketing with companies like Procter & Gamble. During her professional development, she continued her academic growth by graduating with a Master's in Social Communication and later a doctorate in education from the University of Seville, Spain, in 2008, which goes to show her commitment to learning, even as she became older. Such formative experiences laid the groundwork for Herrera's eventual pivot to education and to the founding of a number of communication schools all over Latin America, a testament to her innovative spirit and commitment to teaching.[2][6]

Career

Mónica Herrera was known for creating Beewaze in her early career, a software and hardware solution to monitor bee colonies closely. The creation was able to tell whether there were no diseases becoming widespread and putting the hive in danger. BeeWaze is an IoT-driven beehive monitoring system aimed at optimizing pollination processes for smart farming in Latin America. With the utilization of Quectel's EG915-U LTE Cat 1 module, BeeWaze monitors hive vitality and bee activity during the fruit plantation flowering period, providing actionable data on pollination flow. The technology would help farmers take preventive or corrective actions, furthering sustainability while boosting agricultural productivity and beekeeping. Monica Herrera is a recognized Chilean educator, pioneer of social communication and advertising. She founded the School of the Professional Institute of Communication that later became the Mónica Herrera School of Communication, a leader that for many years was training hundreds of graduates, becoming during the 1980s into a Latin American network with branches in all the Continent. Her book, Advertising: Techniques and Methods in Chile, contributed to the academic foundation in this area, as her contribution to education and communication forever changed the learning and interaction processes.[1][4]

Impact

The influence of Mónica Herrera in communication, advertising, and education has been going on for more than 40 years. She really changed the game with her unique behavior, and reshaping learning has become a part of the job. Founder of Mónica Herrera School of Communication, she became a leading figure in these fields due to her own peculiar methodology called "learning by doing." This game-like method forms critical thinking and problem-solving ability in real-life situations, which helps students create and work on any creative professional project. Herrera's schools have turned into a hotbed of diversity and innovation, with her practice proving nothing short of transformational for thousands of students. Her passion-driven leadership, combined with experiential learning, continues to raise the bar in education across Latin America. Given the emphasis on joy and reflection in learning, she has reshaped how communication and creativity are taught, making her one of the most popular educators and highly regarded industry leaders.[3][5][7][8]

References

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References [1]Beewaze. (2022). Beewaze.com. https://beewaze.com [2]Fusco, N. (2012, May 22). Mónica Herrera: estudiante, periodista, publicitaria, formadora, ¡maestra! – Primer Brief. Primerbrief.com. https://www.primerbrief.com/?p=7252 [3]Mónica Herrera. (2024). Monicaherrera.edu.sv. https://monicaherrera.edu.sv [4]Quectel LTE modules chosen to enable smart pollination monitoring. (2022, April 22). Quectel.com. https://www.quectel.com/customer-stories/smart-pollination-monitoring-lte-modules-beewaze/ [5]Rapaport, I. (2021, June 4). 10 green innovations made by Chileans The Chilean Captain Planets. Marca Chile |; Marca Chile. https://www.marcachile.cl/10-green-innovations-made-by-chileans-the-chilean-captain-planets/ [6]Sánchez, G. (2018, November 22). Mónica Herrera: “la pasión es la clave para lograr nuestros propósitos.” Insights. https://www.insights.la/2018/11/22/monica-herrera-pasion-clave-lograr-nuestros-propositos/ [7]Sutori. (2024). Sutori.com; Sutori. https://www.sutori.com/es/historia/instituto-especializado-escuela-de-comunicacion-monica-herrera--fuSi66h2PABQbyUAYs5vgCTe [8]UDP Museo de la Publicidad - Universidad Diego Portales | Mónica Herrera. (2022). Museopublicidad.udp.cl. https://museopublicidad.udp.cl/contenido/monica-herrera/