By Alexandra Erika L. Ang and Femme Angela C. Armamento
In God’s perfect timing was the overall feeling during the online interview with Atty. Dawna Fya Bandiola. She spoke with the easy calmness of a friend you’re catching up with over coffee. And while speaking with the young lawyer had a sense of familiarity to it—our conversation often revealing how the law school experience is somewhat universal—I realize that the person on the screen in front of me is part of a select group of exam passers in the country’s most difficult licensure exam. Dawna placed fourth in the 2019 Bar Examinations with a score of 88.336% and is the second bar topnotcher to come from San Beda College Alabang – School of Law since its inception in 2005[1].
Dawna hails from Cavite, the daughter of a businessman and the eldest of three children. Her family runs a pharmaceutical business, one where she had worked for prior to entering law school. She is also the first lawyer of her family and, hopefully, the first of many. Her younger sister, a CPA who currently works in the same firm as Dawna, plans to pursue law someday. Their youngest sibling—who they consider the lucky charm of the family—is a special needs child. With the pandemic leaving us all to operate from home, their family spends most of their time together and assists in the youngest’s therapy.
Dawna Fya Bandiola, M.D.?
Once on the path of a different career, Dawna shared that it had always been a childhood dream to become a doctor but her medical school plans fell through when she was applying for her pre-med course in college. Eventually, Dawna graduated Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, her third choice for college degree. She had taken one semester of Engineering before realizing that it was not for her and being stuck in the middle of the school calendar, her options for courses to shift to had been limited.
But even when she took a course that was far from her interests or specialties, she excelled in her classes and was an academic scholar. “Madaldal kasi ako,” she explains. Though programming was not her forte, she made up for it in being the appointed presenter for all of their group projects. Her ability to identify her personal strengths and weaknesses and to navigate through each obstacle is how Dawna had been able to lead an exceptional performance throughout her academic years.
Even after she graduated from college, the option to take medicine had once again presented itself. Her father had offered to pay for med school if she still desired to pursue it. But realizing the disadvantage of having a college degree unrelated to the medical field, Dawna finally let go of her childhood dream and instead decided to pave a new way for herself.
The Happiest Law School
Interestingly enough, Dawna’s information technology (IT) background led her to enter law school. When she had finally hung up the med school dream, her father then offered to pay for her law school education, should she decide to enroll. She recalls that in persuading her to continue her studies, her father told her of a relatively new law, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, and how the legal side of IT was a growing field in our country. Instead of thinking that her undergraduate degree would set her back, she thought that in becoming a lawyer, it could be her advantage since not all lawyers are well-versed with IT.
So I asked, why San Beda College – Alabang? It turns out, there wasn’t much of a story behind that. Being the first in her family to pursue law, she says that she wasn’t aware of what to consider in choosing schools. When she decided to enroll in law school, she only applied in SBCA-SOL. Nevertheless, it was a stroke of luck that she would pursue her education here. “From the first time I entered law school, I knew that it would be really difficult. But when we deal with people who are not toxic nor stressful, parang gumagaan ang fight mo dun sa pagiging graduate sa law school.” She expresses her gratitude for the SBCA community for having been so helpful and accommodating. We have people around us who we can turn to for our concerns. She says we are lucky to have professors who are not only experts in their respective fields but are also inspiring role models who we can aspire to be like. She says that, in the ‘happiest law school’, we could always look forward to a new day.
Like in college where she was a scholar and graduated with honorable mention, Dawna likewise excelled in law school, having been included in the Dean’s List[2] and the Academic Honor Roll[3], as well as graduating top ten of her class. Surprisingly, she cites her first year in law school to be the most difficult year for her. The leap from IT to law proved to be quite the hurdle, though one she was able to overcome. “Kahit mga simple words sa Constitution, hindi ako familiar!” she mentions, laughing. But even as an academic achiever, like every law student, she has had her share of flubs and mishaps, common law school experiences that make us question whether the course is for us. “May mga days na parang nag-aral naman ako pero bakit di gumana review ko. Natanong ako sa part na nalaktawan ko. Ang dami kong inaral tapos pag check ko, dumikit yung page!” On coping with these bad recits, bad exams, bad days, she says we eventually develop the thick skin we need, that we no longer let it get us down but rather, use them as points we could improve on.
The biggest obstacle, she recalls, was in the form a ‘challenging’ professor; she coyly picks out her words, careful not to drop clues as to the identity of this fearededucator. From what she had shared, this was a professor whose reputation alone led students to drop out of their class at the start of the semester. True enough, when the grades had been encoded, only six students had passed the class. But despite starting off her law school journey with some difficulty, Dawna is thankful because the study habits she had developed in order to pass that class were the same habits she had carried throughout law school and even during the bar review.
CBO
Dawna’s time in SBCA was not limited to academics. In fact, what makes her journey in law school even more impressive is that, on top of having stellar grades, she was research editor of the Bedan Review and served as the chairperson of the Centralized Bar Operations (CBO) during her senior year. During her graduation, she received a special award for her service in the CBO.
The participation of all freshmen students in the annual bar operations encouraged her to join CBO in her sophomore year. Seeing the beauty in the organization’s purpose and working closely with assisting bar examinees allowed her to become familiar with the atmosphere during bar month. By the time it was her turn at the hotel, this time as a bar candidate rather than a volunteer, she had grown accustomed to the chaos, not letting the surroundings affect her focus.
The bar exams
The bar exam is the culmination of a law student’s years of studying and poring over books and cases. Oftentimes, it feels like a make-it-or-break-it situation and there is this overwhelming pressure to pass on the first take; there is only one exam a year and failing sets you back for another.
“It was a Friday,” she could recall quite vividly. She shares that upon finding out that she failed on her first take, she mourned over the results for the whole weekend, feeling shattered and apologetic to her parents. “Lumabas ako with family, nag-isip isip ako kung anong gagawin ko. I went back to work on Monday, I wasn’t totally okay noon, but I had to face the fact na hindi ako pumasa.”
Eventually, she had to take in the advice of her parents: you should accept the fact that you failed because the sooner you accept it, it’s going to be easier for you to move forward and recover from that failure.
Dawna left her job to focus on her review. This time around, she came prepared, with a strategy on how she could proceed with her second take. The biggest change she had made was her perspective, she writes in a Facebook post. After taking the time to assess her performance in the previous exam, she noted down the areas where she could improve. Handwriting. Her scores were not that far off from passing. A mere fraction of a point could have gotten her past the finish line. By taking mock bar exams each day, she not only got to review the subjects and get accustomed to the time pressure, she trained herself to minimize erasures and to trust her gut by going with the first answer that comes to mind, framed in a short, concise paragraph.
She stuck with a flexible study calendar, allotting at least two weeks for each subject for the first reading, and at least two readings before pre-week. In scheduling subjects, she started with those which she was most comfortable with to ease herself into review. Next were the subjects she found most difficult since she usually finds the middle of her review as where she’s at her peak. The last subjects in her calendar were those that were in the middle—subjects she was not highly confident in but she could manage to finish in the time allotted.
When it had been time for her second take at the bar exam, there was less pressure. After each Bar Sunday, there was only time to have dinner with her family before rest. She likens the overall experience to thorns being taken out, two at a time, until all eight thorns were gone.
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes
We all enjoy a good redemption story and Dawna’s is one that we all could benefit from hearing. In the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic, her story of hope and perseverance is timely. Across all previous interviews and media coverage she has been receiving since the release of the results, the common message has always been to never lose hope and to trust in God’s plan.
Dawna embodies humility, hard work, and faith—the cornerstones of Bedan education. Though she had all the pieces during her first bar exam, having always been an honor student, setbacks along the way have always been inevitable. Ultimately, your character is not measured by your success but by those moments you redeem yourself. As the popular Japanese proverb quips “Nana korobi ya oki” or “fall down seven times, stand up eight.”es, stand up eight.”
“I will never give up,” it is a declaration.
On 29 April 2020, a one-word message (“Congrats”) and photo from Atty. Jun Cadugo had been the moment Dawna had been praying for. This time, however, her prayers had been answered in ways exceeding her expectations. The once bitter tears had been washed away by those of sweet victory. Her refusal to let a setback derail her plans was rewarded.
Today, Dawna gives back to the community that has molded her by joining the faculty of the School of Law. Though hesitant at first, questioning whether she is well-equipped to teach students—adults and professionals—she believes that she would not have been offered the job if she was not qualified for the position. It’s like she’s back in school, studying before each class, but this time, from the opposite side of the teacher’s table.
Resolutions
As we ring in the new year with a bit of hope and positivity, Dawna’s resolutions focus on growth and wellness. One of the problems faced during quarantine and with the shift to the new normal is that we are restricted to our homes. We have limited space for exercise. She hopes that this 2021, she can do more physical activities and become more fit with respect to her physical health. She also mentions the importance of mental health as well since both her jobs as a tax senior associate and law school professor are demanding.
For work, she hopes that she can perform better. In her tax practice, she hopes that soon there will be laws that will promote equitability with respect to taxation for both the government side as well as that of the taxpayers, balancing the needs of all parties. She hopes to see more improvements in our laws, particularly in corporation law and tax.
When asked about pursuing other legal careers, she says that she has not closed the doors to any opportunities that may come along but for now, she is happy with her work and that she is continuously learning a lot.
As a professor, she hopes that she will always have something to share with her students and that she can continue to motivate people in pursuing their dream. Dawna looks forward to teaching three subjects in the future: Obligations and Contracts, Corporation Law, and Taxation Law. For ObliCon, she says that, initially, the subject is difficult, but once you are able to read and understand it, the provisions are useful and applicable to daily life. For Corporation Law, it is a subject that she has been comfortable with studying and that the provisions she had read then still sticks with her today. Lastly, for Tax, a field where she practices in primarily, she cites the subject as the most difficult to her as a student. Due to her work, she has been able to experience and put into practice the concepts and processes firsthand. She looks forward to simplifying the complicated provisions and sharing her knowledge with her students.
Message to the students
“The first day in law school is the first day of your preparations for the bar exams,” something Dawna always includes in her webinars; the young lawyer has been a frequent invite to speaking engagements. And true enough, these are words she has practiced herself. “You need to allot time for your studies so that by the time you are already in your fourth year or reviewing for the bar, it is not difficult to remember the lessons in your first or second year. Take the opportunity when there are suspended classes, use it as an opportunity for you to study better or prepare better for the next class.”
For the fourth year students and 2020 graduates who are waiting to take the bar exam, her message is likewise straightforward and simple. “Just study. Prepare for the bar exams. Hindi naman natin maco-control lahat ng mga bagay sa paligid natin but what we can control is ourselves, how we handle pressure, stress, and the fact that there is a pandemic.” She tells those students who are just one bar exam away to not lose sight of their goal. The goal is to be a lawyer and how to be a lawyer? You have to study for the exam. She shares an insight from the webinar she was a part of right before our interview, “studying hard is good, but studying smart is better”.◾
[1] The first SBCA-SOL topnotcher is Atty. Rodolfo Aquino, PhD who placed 10th in the 2012 Bar exams
[2] General weighted average of 84.5% and with a grade lower than 80%
[3] General weighted average of 84.5% and with no grade lower than 80%