After 25 years, LA Youth is closing down, and current and former writers are devastated.

This independent newspaper for teens and by teens was read by about 400,000 people throughout Los Angeles.

In it, you might have learned about the college aspirations of an undocumented immigrant, got a student's reaction to the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, or read an argument against illegal music downloads.

But no more: years of financial struggles took their toll on LA Youth, and the last issue heads to schools across Los Angeles this week.

Jazmine Mendoza, a 17-year-old at Social Justice Humanitas Academy in San Fernando. She's written for LA Youth this past year. And Andrea Domanick is an alum of LA Youth and also a former KPCC intern. She's now a reporter for the Las Vegas Sun News.