As the bar exam draws ever closer, nerves, anxiety, and fears of failing often begin consuming bar takers, and that is why today I wanted to share the story of Evelyn Uba with you.
You likely don’t know Evelyn, and in fact, you may have never heard of Evelyn before today. However, over the past ten years, she has shared something in common with you, and that is a dream to succeed and pass the bar exam.
Evelyn’s road wasn’t easy. She graduated law school in 2011 and failed the bar exam multiple times – and by multiple times – a quote from her sums it up nicely, “I took the exam more than ten times. I stopped counting after a while but giving up certainly wasn’t in my dictionary.” Evelyn was a full-time working mom, while also raising a family of four, so it would have been easy for her to give up. She was strong though and kept pushing past her challenges, fighting through adversity, and she didn’t let anything stand in the way of her accomplishing her goals. She had plenty of excuses, but she didn’t let all of the reasons why she should not be successful stop her, and she persevered.
On January 9, 2021, Evelyn received notification that she had passed the bar exam, almost ten years after graduating from law school. You can see the video here of when she found out the results, and I highly encourage you to watch it and read about her journey.
I’m sharing Evelyn’s story with you to put things in perspective for you during this stressful and anxiety-ridden time of the year, and to remind you of one thing. You are in control, even when it feels like things are out of your control as you prepare for the bar exam. Ultimately, no one can stop you if you commit to your goal and reach for your dream.
Like Evelyn, you cannot control what appears on the test, but what you can control is your commitment to succeed and your daily work ethic. Recommit yourself today to the realization of your goal to pass the bar exam. Leave nothing on the table over the next few days, focus on doing what you need to improve, and believe in your ability to be successful. Dedicate yourself to working hard, visualize yourself being as happy as Evelyn when you receive your passing score, and make your dream a reality.
Work hard this week, and believe in yourself. You can do this. I know you can. Be like Evelyn, and don’t let anything stand in the way of your success.