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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Legal advocates say the department’s school wellness checks are a ‘cloak for immigration enforcement.’ -
Students from across the Los Angeles Community College District will be represented.
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So far, about 24,000 more students have applied for help to pay for college compared to this time last year.
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The L.A. County Board of Supervisors has voted to create a "Unified Permitting Authority" aimed at cutting red tape for wildfire survivors who want to rebuild their homes.
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Now on view at The Cheech in Riverside, a retrospective features dozens of pieces from the pioneering Chicana artist Amalia Mesa-Bains.
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The Altadena Reciprocity Project aims to keep trees from burn sites in the community after the Eaton Fire.
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A team out of Arizona State University is creating 3D models to help fire victims with their insurance claims, and to help bring closure.
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Faculty and student activists say they’re proceeding with caution and camaraderie.
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The Trump administration has threatened to withhold funds from schools who uphold the framework.
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Advocates on and off campus are preparing to help international students.
