Teacher mentors self, aces Bar exams
Though my parents and siblings were very willing to finance my review, I did not ask for their help as I did not want to burden them. Moreover, my parents are already old.
Daily TribuneThough my parents and siblings were very willing to finance my review, I did not ask for their help as I did not want to burden them. Moreover, my parents are already old.
Among the stories of celebrations from the batch of new lawyers, that of a teacher from Mindanao stands out.
Keen Steve Bito-on, a senior high school teacher, passed the tough 2023 Bar examination despite financial constraints that prevented him from enrolling in a review center, which exam hopefuls consider a must.
Bito-on is among the 3,812 examinees who passed the 2023 Bar exams.
In an interview with Daily Tribune on 8 December, Bito-on, who taught in South Cotabato and is a graduate of Mindanao State University General Santos City College of Law, said he had to resign from his job to start a self-review.
"Though my parents and siblings were very willing to finance my review, I did not ask for their help as I did not want to burden them. Moreover, my parents are already old. Before I left my job, I had saved money to finance myself," Bito-on said.
He said that during his law school years, he had to balance his studies and his teaching duties.
"I was a senior high school teacher at Dole Philippines School in Polomolok, South Cotabato. I had to work to sustain myself financially through law school," he said.
Father's dream
Bito-on said it was his father's dream that he become a lawyer, which motivated him to finish law school.
"I remember that whenever I was asked by my professors the reason for my aspiring to be a lawyer, I would always answer that it was my father's dream for me, and all I wanted was to fulfill that dream. My struggle in law school was big, but my determination was bigger, and my faith in God even greater. My family was waiting for me until I won this battle."
"I was not really a performing student back in my younger years. I had struggled to read books. Since law school is a jealous endeavor, requiring a lot of your time, I had no choice but to read and study," he said.
Asked what advice he would give aspiring law students, he said hard work and faith were the keys to success and in hurdling the Bar exams.
"Study hard, and pray even harder. I believe the reason I passed the Bar is because God saw my effort, and I always put Him first. Indeed, God is good!"