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ASSOCIATES Litigator takes time to mentor Portuguese-Canadian high school students. BY NAOMI CARNIOL according to the Toronto District School Board. Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP associate Eunice Machado is on a mis- sion to change that troubling pattern. Called to the bar in 2003, Machado I specializes in franchise-related litigation and class actions. Machado, 31, is also a founding member and president of the Portuguese Canadian Lawyers Associa- tion. Established in 2007, the organization promotes education in the Portuguese- Canadian community. Members volun- teer to speak with Portuguese-Canadian students in grades 7 and 8 about higher education and different career paths. "We're not trying to encourage all stu- dents to become lawyers," the University of Toronto law school graduate says. "It's really about setting goals for themselves." Of the 100 girls in Machado's high school class, only 10 went on to universi- ty. "I saw a lot of young women who were opting for very young marriages." As well, some young men she knew quit school to work in construction with their fathers. Though Machado became interested in law in Grade 7, at the time she didn't know any lawyers. All the adults she knew worked in the trades. "I really had no concept of what a lawyer did, what their offices looked like, whether it was possible for me." By bringing Portuguese-Canadian lawyers and students together, Machado 16 NO VEMBER / DECEMBER 2008 www. n Toronto public high schools, the dropout rate for Portuguese-Canadi- an students is a startling 42.5 per cent, hopes students will realize that becoming lawyers, doctors, engineers, architects, or any type of professional isn't out of reach. "It's about knowing that my parents didn't speak English either and I've made it," says Machado. The goal is not to dis- courage young people from entering the trades. Any occupation is good "as long ON A MISSION MACHADO as it's something that you've chosen for yourself and not because you think it's your only option," says Machado. Some students worry they won't be able to afford university tuition. That's why the lawyers discuss scholarships and student loans and is the reason the association is establishing scholarships for Grade 7 and Eunice Machado speaks to Portuguese-Canadian students about the importance of higher education. mag.com PHOTOS: SANDRA STRANGEMORE