Meet the Team: Katrina Herrera

To start, where are you from and where do you live now?

I grew up in Wallingford, PA, a suburb outside of Philadelphia. My family currently lives in Lancaster, PA, and I live in State College while I’m at school.

You are the creative brain behind our weekly videos. Tell us more about your background in video editing and production.

I study film-video in college! I’ve never really been interested in going into Hollywood or the film industry, but more so in video editing and documentary—using video to complement real-life and celebrate humanity. In high school, I’d mainly edit videos for fun and especially took a liking to wedding videography. Pretty much all of my video editing skills I developed on my own time.

You are also an artist and a singer! Can you tell us more about how you got involved in these hobbies? Could you share some examples of your work here or include some links?

I’ve been a performer since I was little. My dad is a lifelong Latin musician and he definitely instilled that in me, on top of being surrounded by an extremely artistic family. Growing up I just delved into that, I wrote songs on my own, was really active in school music programs, and studied performing arts for a long time. 

I’m currently working on a demo album that I started in quarantine, and I’m very excited to get that out in the world! I post frequently on my music Instagram account.

In addition to creating videos for Twenty Over Ten, you also write blogs and articles. Can you share more about your involvement with content marketing and how you became such a great writer?

I do a lot of writing with Twenty Over Ten, and it’s been awesome growing those skills even further. I honestly think one of the biggest reasons I’ve developed writing skills is being a huge reader. I used to participate in NaNoWriMo, so I’ve written a few novels (nothing good, mainly just for fun), and I used to do freelance writing jobs in high school.

You seem to already have so many hobbies, but when you aren’t singing or creating artwork, what are some other things that you like to do for fun?

I love to be out and about and simply around people. I really enjoy live music events, traveling, and anything in the water.

Obviously, college looks different this year all across the country, so how have you adjusted to this “new normal” and what does your typical schedule look like as you balance classes and work?

I’m more adjusted now than I was in March, but it’s still not easy as I’m looking towards the new semester. I really don’t enjoy online classes. I’m easily distracted and really value the merits of face-to-face classwork. Also, I’m a double major in neuropsychology, so I have two online labs this semester. 

I’m trying to set myself up for success by keeping track of all due dates, bettering time management and trying to do work in different places.

What has been your favorite part of being a part of the Twenty Over Ten team so far?

The work I do is very hands-on, which is something that’s hard to come by in college. I get to exercise creative freedom in video editing and writing, and I can actually apply my skills instead of simply learning new skills. I also love the company culture, especially working closely with the rest of the marketing team.

We’re all getting antsy as we continue to quarantine throughout the pandemic, so if you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?

I’m itching to travel right now, and I’m sure I’m not alone! I think I would go to Greece, it’s always been on my bucket list and I love Europe. I’ve also been having a weird urge to go to Disney and Universal recently.

What are some things that you do to stay motivated throughout the week?

My schedule is pretty packed, so I always try to schedule breaks and time for fun. Things like working out and spending time with friends and family help relieve some of that stress. Also, my morning coffee!

Where do you see yourself in the next 5-10 years?

I can’t give you a super concrete answer (I’ve changed my major more times than I can count), but I would love to move somewhere warmer and closer to the shore after college, like California. I’d like to travel regularly, too. I want to do wedding videography on the side of whatever I end up doing. If I decide to go to medical or grad school, the dream school is Stanford! If I don’t, I could see myself working in the events and music industry.