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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 new votes come a week after the board removed Do from his committee assignments.
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The city was accused of failing to prevent bullying and harassment to surfers not affiliated with a local group often described as a surf gang.
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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 saga playing out in O.C.
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Students involved in campus protest filed a lawsuit against university alleging harsher punishments.
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Residents have six months from the date the damage was incurred to file claims against the county
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Ten people have been charged with misdemeanors.
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240 residents on the Peninsula are now without power.
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Two of the laws will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, and a third a year later. They increase transparency in how government contracts are awarded.
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Service will be shut off indefinitely for 35 homes due to safety concerns in the face of rapidly-accelerating land movement.
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The measure would amend Santa Ana's city charter to allow noncitizen residents to vote in municipal elections.
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Incumbent Mayor Valerie Amezcua is running for reelection. She is being challenged by councilmember Benjamin Vazquez.
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The proposed ethics and transparency reforms are in response to LAist’s investigation of millions of unaccounted for tax dollars directed by O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do to a group his daughter was helping lead.
