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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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Who is Andrew Do? Why is his 23-year-old daughter involved? What does a county supervisor even do? We explain the theft of public funds that prosecutors say took place in Orange County.
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Federal prosecutors say the longtime O.C. supervisor has agreed to plead guilty and resign in a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars meant to feed needy seniors, following a months-long LAist investigation and federal probe.
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A look back at LAist reporting that uncovered more than $13 million in public funds directed to a little-known nonprofit by Andrew Do, who did not disclose that his daughter Rhiannon Do held leadership roles with the group — which was not required by state law at the time.
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A total of 50 people have now been charged, including 26 UC Irvine students.
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The information comes after the City Council settled a claim with a former city manager who alleged the police union runs city hall.
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Santa Ana could become the first city in California to allow non-U.S.citizens to vote in municipal elections.
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McDonnell worked at the department for decades before becoming L.A. County’s sheriff for one term.
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Residents affected by the landslide are also now eligible for a $10,000 financial grant to help address damage and lack of utilities.
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Residents have been forced to decide whether to move or stay as an unrelenting landside forces power and gas shutoffs.
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Fire officials say the truck was moved on Friday to a lot on Terminal Island where it can continue to burn.
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Pay raises for city councilmembers. Rent control. Noncitizen voting rights. These are just a few of the topics being tackled by the Santa Ana City Council.
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The moves comes months after LAist uncovered more than $13 million in public funds directed by Do to Viet America Society without him disclosing that his daughter worked as a leader there.
