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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
Stories by Yusra Farzan
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The county is facing at least $400 million in liability claims related to the Airport Fire, which was accidentally started by public crews.
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The pandemic, a rail project and then immigration sweets have all disrupted businesses over the last several years — but not the community’s spirit.
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Activists say Santa Ana needs to start acting like the "sanctuary city" it claims to be.
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The defendant faces two misdemeanor counts for allegedly advertising, listing and eventually renting two properties at a cost that exceeds the limit set by the state.
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Santa Ana reckons with its designation as a "sanctuary city." That debate could play out at a City Council meeting tonight.
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Do is scheduled to be sentenced June 9 on a federal bribery charge. Prosecutors are asking for five years in prison.
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Disgraced former OC Supervisor Andrew Do has been volunteering at the Los Angeles Maritime Institute in San Pedro, teaching sailing skills to disadvantaged kids.
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The city will make presentations at several upcoming gatherings after LAist revealed $700,000 in contracts had been signed outside public view.
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Everyone agrees that Orange County needs a veterans cemetery. The debate centers around where it should go.
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Irvine city officials are set to discuss the controversial new project at the next Great Park board meeting.
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Prosecutors say Tammy Kim changed her driver’s license and voter registration in 2024 to reflect an address she has never lived at.
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The $10.8 billion spending plan cuts vacant jobs and boosts funding for liability claims.
