First-generation scholars help students apply to colleges and earn scholarships California Rural Legal Assistance Focused on Supporting Agricultural Workers Fei Chan did not take a break during social distancing. Chan founded the collective She For Us this summer. The online media platform is dedicated to showcasing the art and writing of its 30 young women and their audience. Each month, the organization selects a theme and publishes corresponding articles and publishes them on its Instagram page and website. “It works like a smaller version of a newspaper,” the sophomore told Serra High. “There are staff, editors, graphic designers and people who take care of the social media pages.” The idea goes back to his failed scholarship application; She was what she would do with the scholarship. That didn`t stop her from pursuing her passion. “Quarantine came in and I kept thinking, `Well, I have time to do it now, so I should just start doing it,`” Chan said. I`ve always been very self-determined, and that`s something I`m personally very proud of because I know it`s not everyone. This tenacity pushes them to explore other passions. Chan has always been interested in writing. She started doing local journalism internships last year and has taken matters into her own hands. “So I searched myself and found [the U-T Community Journalism Scholars program] online,” she said. “I just couldn`t apply because I was too young.” Since then, she has developed a passion for political advocacy. “I`m going to try to investigate myself and the details of what people are proposing,” she said.
“I like to make up my own mind and think for myself. While she recently began publicly advocating for causes she believed in, Chan was afraid of the negative backlash she might have if she used her voice. After the murder of George Floyd, she realized that it was important to speak out. “It was too big an issue not to talk about,” Chan said. “People should be involved [in politics] because even if it doesn`t affect them directly, it will affect the people around them.” With her leadership in the collective and her participation in the U-T, she will use journalism to give a voice to others and to herself. “I just take it upon myself to do things on my own,” Chan said. “Because I know that if I don`t do it, no one else will do it for me.” Harshawn Ratanpal is a member of the U-T Community Journalism Scholars Program. New Roots Community Farm serves as a second home and form of therapy for its Second Chance farmers gives people returning to society hope for the future.