Melissa Herrera
About Melissa Herrera
Melissa Herrera serves as a Program Success Manager and Career Coach at Merit America, where she has significantly expanded the Career Experience Opportunities program. She holds a Master of Professional Studies in Industrial Organizational Psychology and has extensive experience in career readiness programming and coaching.
Work at Merit America
Melissa Herrera has been serving as a Program Success Manager and Career Coach at Merit America since 2021. In this role, she focuses on enhancing the career readiness of participants and ensuring their successful transition into the workforce. Her responsibilities include developing and implementing strategies to support program participants in achieving their career goals.
Education and Expertise
Melissa earned a Master of Professional Studies in Industrial Organizational Psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community Health, with minors in Global Poverty and U.S. Latino/a Studies, from the same institution. Her educational background equips her with a strong foundation in understanding workplace dynamics and the challenges faced by diverse populations.
Background
Before her tenure at Merit America, Melissa held various positions that contributed to her expertise in career coaching and program management. She worked as a Career Readiness Coordinator and Career Coach at The Universities at Shady Grove from 2018 to 2021. Additionally, she was involved with AmeriCorps as a VISTA Service Member, focusing on career readiness programming from 2016 to 2018.
Achievements
Melissa co-authored a strategic plan that significantly expanded the Career Experience Opportunities (CEO) program, increasing its impact from 100 students to over 2,500 annually. She has also presented at the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) annual conference, sharing best practices for creating effective career readiness programming for diverse and underrepresented populations.
Previous Work Experience
Melissa has a diverse work history that includes roles such as Administrative Assistant at Smiles on Wings from 2011 to 2015, Team Leader and Mentor at America Reads*America Counts in 2015, and Health Intern at Montgomery County Government in 2016. These experiences have contributed to her comprehensive understanding of career development and support services.