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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Plaintiffs in a lawsuit against a medical sterilizer using ethylene oxide include cancer patients in the city of Maywood, as well as residents who’ve lost loved ones. The company denies wrongdoing. -
Completion rates are down statewide following the new FAFSA’s troubled rollout, but some districts managed to maintain last year’s levels.
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The summer will be chock-full of webinars and in-person workshops. Advocates are also calling on the federal government to make it easier to apply.
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An Orange County judge had paused a strike by the University of California's academic workers. The strike is now over, but the underlying fight will continue.
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If you need last-minute support to complete your application, professional help is available.
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Across California, tens of thousands of students with learning disabilities are navigating higher ed. But not all of them are getting the support they need, and many have to learn to advocate for themselves.
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There’s a lot of help available, but students have to take the first step.
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Academic workers at six UC campuses have been on strike over how the university system responded to recent campus protests.
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For weeks, the UC system and the union that represents the workers have been trading jabs, urging the other side to compromise in time for finals.
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UC Irvine's teaching assistants, postdocs, and researchers are the latest to walk off the job in a dispute over the university's handling of campus protests.
