She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (magna cum laude) and Masters in Nursing from the University of South Alabama. She also holds a degree in Respiratory Care from her native country. Herica was a faculty member at the University of South Alabama for four years before joining UNM in January, 2013. She is currently pursuing a PhD degree at the University of Alabama in Birmingham where she is planning on conducting her dissertation on nursing competencies in global health. Other research interests include nursing education and health disparities in the Latino population.