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.
-
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases. -
The beloved ice cream was discontinued in 2022. The Salt & Straw ice cream chain is aiming to improve on our childhood memories with a new version. -
The longtime lecturer was arrested in May and could face up to 3 years in state prison. -
Federal and state-based aid can help students pay for tuition and fees, as well as other essentials, offering some an opportunity for a debt-free education. -
Administrators say the bargaining units should be dismissed, or that they have no standing. One campus is going after the federal agency in charge of union activity. -
Faculty want administrators to resume contract negotiations, but administrators say the union “has no standing.” -
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.
