BART's Aileen Hernandez is working to increase access and opportunity

Aileen at her Columbia University graduation in 2010.

Her past work connected first-generation community college students to four-year universities, given military veterans access to job training, expanded workforce development services in San Francisco, and ensured BART provides opportunities for small businesses and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) to get access to construction contracts.

In her current role, Hernandez makes sure BART has access to local, state, and federal funds. Recently, Hernandez and her team navigated and implemented the complex funding strategy for BART's new fare gates.

"I really enjoy my work because I know that every dollar we bring to BART is going to have an impact and create a better system for our customers," she said. "And those customers are real people. It's our moms, grandparents, tourists, and people with disabilities."

Hernandez is all about finding ways to uplift Latinos, and for her, Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to educate others about the rich tapestry of Latino culture and expand how people think about who makes up the community.

"It's an important time to promote and educate people about Latino culture and their contributions to the U.S.," she said. She is especially passionate about bringing attention to the communities that do not get as much representation in the media or the corridors of power.

"I think there's a huge lack of education about the history of Central America and South America," she said. "Not everyone knows the about the colonization of America, migrations across the continent, and the reasons why people migrated to California and or why they never left."

Hernandez grew up in the Bay Area, but her family returned to Colombia for a spell before moving back to the U.S. when she was 12. She went to Chabot College to obtain an associate's degree and UC Davis for her bachelors. Along the way she participated in student government and ran cross country before going to work for California Community Colleges in Sacramento.