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Yusra Farzan
What I cover
I report on issues affecting students (prospective and current), their families and communities. Some big questions I am pondering on this beat: who are higher education institutions set up to serve? Who determines who has access to these institutions? How is changing technology affecting higher education? Is access to higher education a ticket to a different trajectory in life?
My background
I didn’t think about university up until I graduated high school. Neither of my grandparents nor parents had completed college. We were residents in the UAE and that residency was dependent on my dad holding down his job. A college degree was a nice to have, not a need to have in my family. And it was only thanks to a combination of luck (Sri Lanka’s civil war ended), grit (I balanced 3 freelance jobs and a paid internship) and sheer determination (I dodged countless marriage proposals) that I graduated with a degree.
And it’s these forces that led me to complete my master’s in race and social justice reporting from USC almost a decade later. (Add a 2-year-old to the mix and grieving the sudden death of my mother.)
I previously covered Orange County for LAist.
My goals
I want to find what works and expose what doesn't, and help students and their families find solutions to their problems.
Best way to reach me
Covering Southern California’s universities and community colleges can be a lot, so I need your help in being my eyes and ears on the ground. If you have a tip, you can email me at yfarzan@laist.com or on Signal at username: @yusramf.25
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California Faculty Association members have until Nov. 19 to authorize a strike.
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City officials have taken precautions ahead of the so-called super El Niño.
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The L.A. Community College District board oversees nine colleges that serve nearly 200,000 students. Three seats are up for election Nov. 3.
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If a ballot measure passes, the tax overnight hotel guests pay at Terranea Resort will increase 3%.
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Three trustee seats are up for election on the Pasadena Area Community College District board.
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If enough community members advocate for it, local school districts can recognize the festival with a district wide holiday.
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The report says UCLA's response to protests against Israel's war in Gaza was particularly harsh among universities experiencing encampments.
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The UC system currently does not have a single systemwide AI product or mandatory AI protocols in place.
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DHS says they have put universities "on notice" that they could be in violation of federal rules that dictate work opportunities for international students.
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Parents have taken to social media, created petitions and are proposing a bond measure in order to address sweltering classrooms.
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Homes have been red tagged and high tides have caused severe erosion.
