-
Listen Listen
-
Listen Listen
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
-
Federal immigration officials will monitor the coastline, as well as residential neighborhoods, if people on boats head into the city.
-
The 82-year-old has had to rethink her retirement after a 6-foot fissure developed through her property.
-
Superstitions are an important part of sports.
-
The port handled 9.9 million 20-foot equivalent containers in 2025
-
The City Council voted to table the conversation after debate over how to even find a location.
-
The warmer temperatures are expected to be higher than average by about 10 to 15 degrees.
-
Outside observers say hundreds of people have been killed in Iran during anti-government protests, sparking international condemnation.
-
The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center burned in the Eaton Fire. The senior rabbi gives an update on his congregation a year later.
-
Crews will repair damages to main road through landslide area.
-
The mosque is currently operating out of a temporary space rented from a church.
-
The lawsuit centers on tweets about Butch Twining attending a vigil to honor slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
-
Monthly billing statements show purchases from Target, Walmart, Amazon and other vendors. LAist requested the records amid city oversight concerns.
