Israel Fernando Herrera, Licenciado en Idiomas and Especialista en Pedagogía Informática UIS, and a professor at Indiana University, USA, received at the end of 2024 the highest recognition an educator in culture, literature, and language can achieve in their professional career. The award was presented during the annual gala of the Indiana Latino Expo (ILE), which celebrates community impact.
Leaders, advocates, and supporters gathered at the Biltwell Event Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Friday, December 6, to present the ILE awards. The ILE is a nonprofit state organization providing opportunities for the Latino community and honoring individuals and organizations with significant contributions to Indiana’s Latino community through these awards.
“It is a great pride as a UIS graduate to represent the University and the city of Bucaramanga. The education I received at UIS was crucial in achieving my success as an educator. Professionally, this award is a major acknowledgment of my work as a Latino educator in Indiana and the United States,” expressed Professor Herrera upon receiving the award.
He added, “I had many professors who greatly influenced me during my education at UIS. It was a tremendous honor to have some of the best language professors in the city and the nation during my studies in the 1990s, who inspired me to think big and contribute to the profession.”
He recalled that during his undergraduate years and after graduation, he worked in various English teaching centers and universities in the city. Later, he earned a Fulbright scholarship to teach Spanish at South Dakota State University in the United States, where he pursued his master’s and doctoral studies at the University of Iowa and Indiana University.
He highlighted that he was nominated by several professors and organizations, after which the executive board of the Indiana Latino Expo confirmed he had won the award. This recognition celebrates “a year of achievements, highlighting the resilience, creativity, and dedication of the Latino community across various sectors, including education, business, healthcare, and social advocacy”.
As part of his contributions and legacy to education, the award presentation emphasized, “Professor Herrera’s work has strengthened Latino/Hispanic education throughout the state of Indiana. He has helped provide programs that otherwise wouldn’t be available in the state. His efforts have inspired Latino/Hispanic youth in Indiana to appreciate and take pride in their identity, culture, language, strengths, and achievements. Professor Herrera is widely known in Indiana and across the nation as a staunch advocate for providing the best possible education to Latino/Hispanic youth and for recognizing the most dedicated Latino/Hispanic students in Indiana and the United States.”
It is worth mentioning that Professor Israel Fernando Herrera, due to his exemplary work with the Latino/Hispanic community, has received numerous awards, including: the AATSP National Outstanding Spanish Teacher of the Year, the AATSP National Distinguished Latino Leader, the IU President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching and Service, and the City of Bloomington Be More Creative, Be more Influential, and Be More Phenomenal Awards. He has also created various distinctions, medals, and diplomas recognizing the excellent academic records and volunteer service of Latino/Hispanic students in the Monroe County Community School Corporation and across Indiana, to name a few of his achievements and contributions.
Finally, after confirming that on January 20, 2025, he received the “2025 Martin Luther King Jr. Bridges Award” for his work with the Latino community in Bloomington and Indiana, Professor Herrera shared a message for UIS students:
“I encourage you to make the most of the education and resources UIS offers. UIS graduates are highly valued abroad, so I urge you to seek opportunities for educational, research, or creative advancement through the Oficina de Relaciones Exteriores UIS always supports its students, so never give up on your dreams of succeeding in Bucaramanga, Colombia, or abroad”.
