After successfully making her point, Yuridia Equihua likes to borrow a “How I Met Your Mother” catchphrase – “lawyered.”
Now a law student at the University of Idaho, Equihua grew up in the small town of Granger, Washington, and always knew she wanted to become a lawyer.
“It made no sense to my parents,” Equihua said. “But ever since I was 5 years old I was saying I wanted to be a lawyer.”
Equihua would not stray from her childhood goal. From attending career fairs to writing reports, Equihua said she always focused on becoming a lawyer.
Equihua began her studies at the University of Washington in Seattle. Yet, the cost of living in Seattle was too much for Equihua and it became difficult to focus on school with the financial burden of living in the city, she said.
UI”s law school was more affordable for Equihua, so she transferred in the summer of 2013, she said. The lower costs and the more relaxed atmosphere of a smaller town made it easier for Equihua to focus on her schooling, she said.
“It was shocking at first, coming from a city to Moscow,” Equihua said. “But I”ve adapted.”
While transferring was simple, things haven”t always been easy for Equihua.
“I”m first generation, so neither of my parents went to school,” Equihua said. “They didn”t know how to apply for college, let alone apply to law school.”
Being the first person in her family to pursue college could be stressful, Equihua said. She said she often found herself looking back and wondering how she got there with no guidance on what to do next. Yet, Equihua said she looks at the positive results of those obstacles.
“I”m an ambitious person,” Equihua said. “It made me work hard and not settle for things or give up when I didn”t know the next step.”
Equihua has already completed an externship with the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project, a group who helps people seeking immigration relief. She also did an internship with Halverson Northwest Law Group, a private practice that focuses on business law. Equihua is currently in Clinic – a course where UI law students perform real work for people in Moscow involved in family law issues.
With hopes to graduate spring 2016, Equihua said while she”s open to any job opportunities that may come her way, her dream job would be working with the Innocence Project. The organization uses post-conviction relief to essentially save people who are convicted under questionable evidence. Equihua has also considered doing something that is law-adjacent, such as being a law adviser.
When Equihua is not working toward her dream of being a lawyer, she enjoys hanging out with her friends and boyfriend, going to the gym every morning and watching Netflix.
Equihua said her parents keep her humble with everything she has accomplished and will continue to accomplish, she said. Equihua looks forward to having her parents see her graduate law school.
“Throughout the process they were like, “Just keep working, don”t worry about anyone else, just keep working,”” Equihua said.
Now that she”s in her final stretch of law school, she said her parents are beginning to give her more recognition for her accomplishments.
“I always knew it was there,” Equihua said. “They just finally feel like they can show it.”
Marisa Casella can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @marisacasella1