Dr. Stephanie Herrera

Biography

Dr. Stephanie A. Herrera is the former principal of Students on Academic Rise (SOAR) High School, an early college high school in collaboration with the Antelope Valley Union High School District (AVUHSD) and Antelope Valley College (AVC). Herrera served as a Senior Lecturer at Brandman University in the MAELA/PASC program beginning in 2018 and enthusiastically joined the newly transitioning UMass Global team as full-time faculty in 2021.

An educator since 2002, Herrera began her career as a teacher where she began taking on leadership roles. In 2006, Herrera took a role abroad in Madrid, Spain’s education system providing coaching for Spanish teachers who taught English in a bilingual program. Before becoming SOAR High School Principal, Herrera served as a vice principal in the AVUHSD from 2010-2017.

As a Brandman University doctoral student, Herrera focused her investigation on discovering how female chief executive officers (CEOs) create meaning for themselves and their organizations through the various “meaning-making domains” including character, vision, relationships, wisdom, and inspiration. Herrera was acknowledged for some outstanding accomplishments during her doctoral journey. Her cohort took Best of Rally in the Transforming the Future Competition, as well as first place in the Value This! Innovation Tournament. Herrera was also selected as the graduating speaker at the Gamma Hooding Ceremony in 2017.

Herrera received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with an emphasis in Service Sector Management, from CSU, San Marcos. She also has a master’s degree in Educational Administration from CSU, Bakersfield, and a doctorate in Education, specializing in Organizational Leadership, from Brandman University in Irvine, California. Herrera currently serves as the Masters in Educational Leadership and Administration (MAELA)/Preliminary Administrative Services Credential (PASC) program chairperson, as well as acts as faculty support for the Clear Administrative Services Credential (CASC) program. In January of 2024, Herrera was appointed the Associate Dean of Assessment and Accreditation for the School of Education and in July of 2024, she took over both the Educational Leadership Programs and the Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership Program in her Associate Dean role.