AFS alum Jared Solomon ’97 was sworn in January 3 at the Capitol in Harrisburg as the new state representative for the 202nd Legislative District, centered in the Castor/Oxford Circle neighborhood of Northeast Philly. Jared ran unopposed in the 2017 general election after beating longtime incumbent Mark B. Cohen in the Democratic primary. Jared, who is a graduate of Swarthmore College and Villanova University law school, also was named in a “40 under 40” feature by “City and State PA” magazine.

In the article, Jared said that going door to door to canvass for votes made a big impact on him. “There were a lot of people that really wanted to engage,” he told the magazine. “There’s a lot of people, especially older people, with this intense feeling of being alone. And I felt how a public servant can help just by being present.”