AURORA, Ill. – State Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, recently participated in the 8th annual Edgar Fellows program, led by former Governor Jim Edgar and the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs, to discuss effectively working across the aisle to find solutions to the state’s problems.  

“It was an honor to have been selected to be a part of this year’s class and to learn from Governor Edgar,” said Hernandez. “Every person who attended came from a different background, political ideology, and geographical location, yet we were able to collaborate on finding solutions to common issues we face in our work.”

The Edgar Fellows is a 4 day program consisting of 41 individuals who come from various roles across the state. These individuals are hand-picked from a large pool of applicants because of their strong leadership roles and efforts to make change throughout Illinois.

“My number one priority as a state representative is to ensure the residents of my district are seeing positive change with the issues that we have in the state,” said Hernandez. “The Edgar Fellow program allowed me to find solutions through a different lens. Despite our differences, at the end of the day, each Edgar Fellow’s participant has the same goal, and I am humbled to have been a part of such a rewarding experience.”