Julia Barajas
What I cover
My reporting encompasses everything from research universities to community colleges, with an emphasis on students who’ve been historically excluded from higher education. I focus on issues that could affect students’ learning conditions and post-grad opportunities. This includes new programs and teaching methods; the spread of generative AI; labor disputes; disciplinary proceedings; and access to financial aid. I also highlight campus resources and events that are open to the broader community.
My background
Up until 12th grade, I was never assigned anything written by a person of Mexican descent, despite growing up in L.A. County, where Latinos make up nearly half of the population. So when a brochure for East Los Angeles College appeared in the mailbox, I tried out dual enrollment and took an introductory Chicano Literature course. Our class 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 bachelor’s degree, and it continues to shape the work I do now.
My goals
I aim to help all college students chart a course of success for themselves, guided by their own curiosities and ambitions.
Best way to reach me
If you’re worried or excited about something related to SoCal higher ed, I’d love to hear about it. You can reach out by email at jbarajas@laist.com. If you have a tip you'd like to share more privately, you can reach me on Signal. My username is jbarajas.68. You can follow this link to reach me there or type my username in the search bar after starting a new chat.
-
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. -
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.
