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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 sale was halted after the 2022 Anaheim corruption scandal erupted with allegations of influence peddling in local politics.
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Sunny conditions persist, Antelope Valley and parts of the San Gabriel Valley could see thunderstorms.
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A lawsuit against the city claimed the language was “unlawfully partisan.”
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For the first time this year, the virus was detected in Huntington Beach.
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The measure on the November ballot would require voter approval for any "city-initiated" zoning changes.
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The beaches have become mostly rocks and pebbles following coastal erosion as a result of heavy storms.
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It basically comes down to resources and the inability to stop fireworks sales in more permissive areas, officials say.
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This is the second mountain lion found dead on a Southern California freeway in less than a month.
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Displaced residents will have 90 days to leave the Level Hotel where they have been living for three years.
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The city will also enforce parking violations to address the budget gap.
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A trust fund will be used to bankroll affordable housing projects, apply for grants and embark on more research.
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The state-run O.C. Fair has just raised stall rental prices while the city-opreated Lakewood Equestrian Center could be closed down.
