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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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Board members were informed that Do “will likely miss a number of meetings in the future."
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Also on Monday, Don Wagner, who chairs the board, said he was scheduling a vote to remove Do from his committee assignments.
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The virus was detected in Santa Ana in an area bordering Garden Grove Boulevard.
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Federal agents on Thursday searched the family home of O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do and his wife — O.C. Superior Court Assistant Presiding Judge Cheri Pham — as well as a home owned by their daughter Rhiannon Do.
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A new report found that discrimination against transgender people is one of the biggest barriers to higher paying jobs, and that in turn leads to a struggle to find secure housing.
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A 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck at 12:20 p.m. on Monday.
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Prophet Premium Blends recalled the products in June, but some are still on the market.
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A half-cent sales tax will appear on November's ballot to fund bringing in more sand to combat erosion.
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City is waiving permit fees for those switching from natural gas to propane
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Todd Ament, who admitted to wire fraud, lying to a mortgage lender and lying on his tax returns, faces a possible sentence of 30 years or more in prison, according to the US Department of Justice.
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Firefighters are worried about access in the event of an emergency as the ongoing landslide shifts and destroys roads.
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From Egyptian cuisine to Yemeni dishes, from lolling on sofas to takeout at food trucks, go on a multi-national gastronomic adventure.
