In the latest edition of Community Unwrapped: Where are they now, join us as we speak to Kiira Käärid, who grew up in the Toronto-Estonian community and works as a capital markets associate at McMillan LLP.
“Even now I have a suured tüdrukud group chat on Instagram where I talk to my camp friends every day. Those are some of my strongest friendships and are one of the main things I've taken from the Estonian community.”
(Kiira Käärid)
Though she was born in Canada, Käärid and her family moved to Estonia shortly after that. “I spent most of my childhood living there, but we moved back to Canada when I was seven,” she said. “After that, we got super involved in the community here, where I spent my summers at Seedrioru Summer Camp and volleyball camp at Jõekääru. Even now I have a suured tüdrukud group chat on Instagram where I talk to my camp friends every day. Those are some of my strongest friendships and are one of the main things I've taken from the Estonian community.”
Since then, Käärid has pursued a career in capital markets, practicing as an associate at McMillan LLP, a corporate law firm in Toronto. From filing documents to drafting contracts and due diligence processes, Käärid's working days are jam-packed, though the workload depends on the lawyers she works with and the files she's assigned.
The overwhelming support Käärid has felt through the community allowed her to pursue her current job. “When I got into law school I was curious about what lawyers did in different fields, so I reached out to lawyers in the Estonian community and asked about their experiences and what they did at their firms in their area of law. Having that community support and encouragement has been super helpful,” she said.
Interestingly, Käärid's background before law school was in science. “After high school, I went to Queen University for my undergrad, where I specialized in life sciences,” she said.
“After undergrad, I did a records management role at Loblaw Companies Ltd.'s legal department. That was the first time I saw how lawyers interacted and the first time I could envision myself doing a similar role in the future.”
(Kiira Käärid)
“I think halfway through my undergrad, I realized life sciences wasn't for me. I like its substance but didn't see a career in that field. After undergrad, I did a records management role at Loblaw Companies Ltd.'s legal department. That was the first time I saw how lawyers interacted and the first time I could envision myself doing a similar role in the future. That experience encouraged me to write the LSAT, beginning the domino effect of where I ended up today,” she added.
Käärid's success in pursuing law after earning her undergraduate degree in science is a testament to the value of exploring different paths. When asked about the advice she would offer those pursuing a different career path, she emphasized the importance of being open to new experiences. “It wasn't until I took that role at Loblaw Companies Ltd. that my career path changed. Until then, I had mostly worked in the service and retail industries. By trying something new, I was exposed to an area that I really ended up loving!”
To learn more about Kiira's journey into law and her career, watch the episode on YouTube!
This article was written by Natalie Jenkins as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.
