Julia Barajas
I explore how college students achieve their goals — whether they’re fresh out of high school, or going back for the first time in years — and what support they get along the way.
My exposure to college began when I was a high school senior. In all my years of schooling, I’d never been assigned anything written by a person of Mexican descent, despite growing up in L.A. County. So when a brochure for East Los Angeles College appeared in my family’s mailbox, I tried out dual enrollment, and took an introductory Chicano Literature course. We read everything from Tomás Rivera’s “... And the Earth Did Not Devour Him” to Bernice Zamora’s “Notes from a Chicana ‘COED.’” And what I learned there — about writing, about history, and about myself — stayed with me. It informed my decision to major in literature and Latin American studies when I went on to earn a four-year degree, and it continues to shape the work I do now.
My hope is that all college students will get a similar chance to chart a course for themselves, guided by their own curiosities and ambitions.
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As UC leaders grapple with how to respond to research grant cuts and a potential billion-dollar penalty, some are taking a defensive stand. -
Newly revealed data shows that hundreds of thousands of Californians are struggling to make their monthly student loan payments. -
On Thursday evening, dozens of researchers hosted a science fair at UCLA to demonstrate the long-term impact of frozen grants. -
Alfredo Ramos Martínez’s work has long been seen as apolitical. But this exhibition shows that he was deeply attuned to injustices around him. -
Why California might preserve in-state tuition rates for community college students who get deportedA bill in the state Legislature would allow deported community college students to continue their coursework online at in-state rates. DACA recipients who are denied re-entry to the U.S. would also be eligible. -
When President Donald Trump took office in January, nearly two dozen states allowed their respective undocumented students to pay in-state college tuition. That number is quickly diminishing. -
The settlement will be divided up among tens of thousands of residents. -
The budget gap has led to a tuition hike, along with spending cuts and fewer course offerings. At the same time, generative AI already has transformed higher ed — including post-grad job prospects. -
To continue making the teaching profession more accessible to candidates from historically excluded groups, experts provide recommendations for policymakers at the state and federal level. -
Critics say the cash-strapped system misspent millions of dollars getting upgraded accounts for all students. CSU leaders insist they're needed to meet a changing economy.
