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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A comprehensive undergraduate education for incarcerated women is rare, especially past an associate’s degree. -
The university system is part of a growing number of institutions rethinking their admissions criteria.
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The new interim chancellor previously served as president of Cal State Northridge.
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The announcement comes amid a statewide housing crisis — and shortly before students find out if they’ve been admitted.
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The stakes are high for the Titans in this year's NCAA tournament. Their fans can’t wait.
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Dr. Sharla Berry, an expert in online postsecondary education, weighs in on best practices beyond the pandemic.
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The chancellor had come under pressure from students and faculty.
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The Super Bowl-winning Los Angeles Rams took their victory lap through the city on Wednesday, starting in Exposition Park.
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A "tidal wave" of students led to a panic, and then to the three-tiered system we still have today, for better and for worse.
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Three national championships in three years. But COVID rained on two of those parades.
