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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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In an email to staff, he announced his last day is Friday.
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A new law requires California bars and nightclubs to stock up on testing kits to check for date rape drugs that are often odorless, colorless, and even tasteless.
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No major damage was immediately reported.
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The Inglewood Transit Connector is slated to be completed in time for the 2028 L.A. Olympics.
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Black people were stopped at a higher rate disproportionate to their population size.
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The dinoflagellates that cause the waves to light up come and go in seasons.
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Clothing, non-perishable foods and toiletries are among the items being requested.
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The bakery’s announcement came after another beloved L.A. institution, Milk Jar Cookies, announced its closure on social media.
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The city will determine additional celebrations on a quarterly basis.
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One expert warned that there is a “potential for cliff failures, for sure, as those waves are just beating against the base of the cliff more frequently during events like this."
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They are a mix of first-timers and seasoned pros. Some of them have been coming for decades.
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A lot of it will be in our taps in up to 25 years.
