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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Students on at least six of the Cal State system’s 23 campuses have joined the growing hunger strike movement. -
Candidates will get free tuition, a mentor and a stipend.
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The relief is meant to help homes and businesses rebuild after the January fires.
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The Department of Cannabis Control has until this summer to establish new rules.
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Advocates want to improve access to grants, loans, scholarships and work study opportunities.
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College affordability experts weigh in on how to protect yourself from mismanagement and stay on track toward cancellation.
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The Trump administration and Congress have taken a series of actions that could greatly affect federal student loan borrowers.
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Author and professor Héctor Tobar reflects on nearly three decades of work.
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California wants to make sure community college students don’t leave money on the table.
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At the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, admission to panels with popular authors goes fast, so make a plan for the reservations you most want to secure at the 2025 event on the USC campus.
