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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 event returns after a four-year hiatus.
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The data set is for a three-week period tracking the controversial policy.
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Fans have been in a frenzy trying to figure out Easter eggs revealing which ex the songs are about.
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The original organizer encourages participants to “connect” with the historic freeway.
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California was joined by 32 other states in the federal lawsuit.
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The closures are in preparation of toll lanes scheduled to open this December.
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Around 700 workers are striking against bad faith bargaining.
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The vaccines will be available free of charge.
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City officials will come back with a ballot measure for the city council's consideration on Nov. 7.
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Above average rainfall this year has resulted in odor incidents in landfills across the state.
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This year alone, around $39 million has been scammed out of programs like CalFresh and CalWORKS.
