A Passion With Purpose

Carol Velazquez (’24 J.D.) doesn’t like talking about herself. This isn’t because she lacks for things to say. She is quite accomplished and her future is bright. But her humility is genuine. She grew up in Los Angeles, in a predominantly Latino neighborhood, where negative experiences with the law have eroded the area’s trust in it.

“I come from a large immigrant community,” Velazquez says. “I’ve always had this understanding that some people live in fear of the law. So how do you empower them and make it more accessible? More equitable?”

These are questions that she explored before she came to Spokane and started on her path toward becoming a lawyer. After she graduated from college, she took a job working for SEIU-UHW, a union of healthcare workers. While doing this work, she saw the true power of community and gained an even deeper understanding of how it begins and lives within each member.

“I was amazed at the power of collectiveness,” she says of the experience.

Had it not been for COVID-19, Velazquez might still be doing that kind of work. During that uncertain time, Velazquez decided it would be best to pursue law school. As a nontraditional student from a sunnier California climate, she found law school, and Spokane was disorienting at first. And difficult. But she soon found herself on the receiving end of a sense of community that she’d worked so hard to foster with the union.

“I felt incredibly supported throughout,” she says. “Especially by Assistant Dean Susan Lee. She allowed me to express myself and just made me feel really comfortable.”

That encouragement opened up opportunities for Velazquez that she would not have pursued otherwise. She went on the Gonzaga Law in Action: Nogales trip where she saw firsthand how important it was for asylum seekers to have someone who speaks their language serving as their advocate. She was also able to participate in the summer program in Florence, an experience that allowed her to “see the world with a different lens.”

As she prepares for the bar, Velazquez has lined up a position at a minority-owned law firm, Olivarez Madruga Law Organization in Los Angeles.

“It’s so empowering to walk in there and feel seen. This firm offers new opportunities to confront complex legal issues head-on and to push the boundaries of what I thought possible,” she says.

And there’s no doubt that she’ll continue to help others feel likewise.