VERONIKA HERRERA MOJICA

Non-profit Leader | Educator | Aspiring Strategic Life Coach vero_thatmotherrunner

What are 3 - 5 words you would use to describe yourself? Curious, Intuitive, Resourceful, Reflective, Persevering

How do you identify ethnically and culturally? This is ever evolving for me but currently I identify as Latina. I was raised in a fairly traditional first gen immigrant family but my mom wasn't as traditional (she didn’t teach me how to cook and I never had a curfew). She had friends from other Latin American countries and so from a young age I was exposed to the similarities that we share as Latinos. I think that I unknowingly took on this panLatino identity, which continued to evolve when I moved to Miami and then to New York and so I guess it's no surprise that I married a Dominican/Columbian New Yorker and that my kids are Mexican, Dominican and Colombian.

Who and what motivates you? Without a doubt my family. Every decision that I make involves considering them and how they will be impacted. I suppose that’s what being a mother and wife entails. Before my family, however, curiosity was my primary motivator. Curiosity to see what I was capable of, curiosity to see what saying yes to an adventure, a job, a trip, a race, date, etc.  would lead to. It has served me well and I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of fun and adventure along the way. Although it's my family that is my northstar, my curiosity for what’s around the corner or for how I can expand my perspective still fuels my soul.

Who and what inspires you? The women in my life have been a huge inspiration. Specifically, my mom. She lived a life that wasn't always easy. She was a single mom of three but she managed to always provide us with everything and sometimes more than what we needed including her love and attention. When I get tired or discouraged I think about what a warrior she was and how that guerrera also lives in me. 

What does community mean to you? We (Latinos) are a communal people so I feel like I've been surrounded by community my whole life. I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't have people around me. My mom was a single parent so my brother and sister, aunts, uncles and cousins played a significant role in raising me.  My mom also had her own community of amigas that she leaned on and I think that also shaped me and taught me the importance of friendship and building your own community. Consequently, I have been very fortunate in my life and have maintained friendships despite time and distance. When I think about my own communities, the common thread is love and acceptance.

Name a recent or current challenge you have worked through or are working through. My mom passed away when I was 19. We were incredibly close. I was her last born and a decade younger than my siblings. Her death changed and impacted me in ways that I am still unpacking 26 years later. The realization that I’ve navigated my entire adult life on my own has become more pronounced for me now that I have my own children. Although I've been able to check off a lot of boxes as they relate to my professional and academic life, I’ve often felt that life has happened to me. Thankfully, I’ve met some amazing people along the way and have had incredible opportunities that have led me to my current place in time, all of which I am so grateful for. I just turned 45 and now that I’m a little older and wiser and I want to make sure that I live the next half of my life authentically, intentionally and purposefully. 

Thinking about growth, what if anything gets in the way for you personally or professionally? Professionally, it has definitely been imposter syndrome. Despite my education and professional experience, I struggled for a long time to show up as my authentic self and believe that my life perspective and experience brought value to the organizations that I've worked at. Overcoming imposter syndrome is something that I actively work at. However, as a Latina in the education space it is critical that my voice is included and that has given me the confidence to trust that what I bring to the table matters and is valuable.

What are you most proud of? I'm really proud of the mother I am to my children. I'm not mother of the year, I don't bake, I’m not a great cook, I don't have my kids in all these extracurricular activities and they probably watch way too much TV but I am incredibly committed to being my best self daily so that I can be my best for them. We talk a lot and laugh a lot. We have daily dance parties and go for walks, I teach them about who they are and celebrate where we/they come from, I encourage them to trust themselves and to ALWAYS be curious, to share how they feel and to find the beauty in the ordinary things - a vibrant sky or a sweet smelling flower, or crunchy leaves under their feet. I chose to have my children later in life… I had my first at age 38 (after 2 miscarriages), my second at 41 and my third at 43. I didn't plan out much for my life but I did know that I wanted to wait to marry and have children. Maybe it was because my mom had me at 42 and she was so patient and loving with me. She had a life perspective that allowed her to parent me differently than she did my older brother and sister.

If your life was a book what would the title of your story be? ¡Adelante! Always forward! Another option would be From Fun to Focus

If you could have dinner with anyone (alive or deceased) who would it be? And why? What would you eat together and where would you be? My mom for sure and we would have her albondigas, they were legendary and it would be back in La Puente, in the house I grew up in. I would have her teach me how to make them and enjoy the meal, watching my kids play in the backyard. She passed away when I was so young, 19. I never had the luxury of having an adult relationship with her so there is so much I didn't get to ask her or get her guidance on. I would love to be able to talk to her about life, womanhood and parenthood and ask her what she thinks of how my life has turned out without her.

Name one goal (short-term or long-term) you have for yourself. I’ve been an educator for 20 years. First as a teacher and now as a non-profit leader in the teacher training and higher education space where I’ve had the opportunity to design and launch my own teacher training programs that are grounded in anti-racist/abolitionist teaching practices and disrupt the traditional teacher preparation model. This work has been immensely gratifying but over the course of the last several years - specifically after coaching teachers and teaching residents and working alongside so many incredible leaders and scholars - I’ve felt called to expand my reach and work with folks outside of the education space. I’m currently working towards my goal of becoming a strategic life coach. My intention is to use my life and professional  experience, unique perspective and intuitiveness to support and work with other goal orientated folks, with a specific focus on Latinas, in gaining clarity on the life they envision for themselves, and using a strategic and action oriented approach to attain those goals so that step-by-step they can become all of who they are meant to be. 

What is something people would be surprised to know about you? I still struggle referring to myself as a runner despite having ran many many races, including 5Ks, 10Ks, a dozen half marathons, and the 2021 NYC marathon. I’ve also become an unintentional and now intentional run streaker. A run streaker is someone who runs at least 1 mile a day.  What began as a fun 40 day challenge and a way for this mom of three littles to get some alone time, has become a 600+ day habit with no end in sight. I started on Memorial Day 2020 (during the height of the pandemic and 6 weeks postpartum with baby #3). I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d still be running, yet here I am! Feel free to follow my running journey on instagram at vero_thatmotherrunner.