For many, life seems to begin in the 20s — when careers take shape, dreams are pursued, and identities are formed. But for others, life unfolds on a different timeline. Dreams do not come with an expiration date and purpose does not fade with age.

This truth was powerfully embodied in a recent episode of DAILY TRIBUNE'S Spotlight, featuring one of the newest passers of the 2025 Philippine Bar Examination, Atty. Bernice Marie S. Angeles. The episode shone a light on Atty. Angeles’ extraordinary journey — one defined not by speed, but by perseverance, faith, and unwavering resolve.

A seasoned communications and public relations executive, Angeles earned her Juris Doctor degree from San Beda College Alabang School of Law and passed the Bar at 40 years old, proving that reinvention is possible at any stage of life.

A dream that learned how to wait

Long before she wore a black robe, Angeles was already being pointed toward the law. A graduate of AB Political Science from St. Scholastica’s College, she was a natural leader even as a student. Teachers would tell her she had the makings of a lawyer — or a politician.

“Maybe I was already thinking about it in high school,” she shared. “People were saying I’d be a good lawyer.”

She applied for law school. She passed. And then, life happened. A career in communications and public relations unfolded, vibrant and demanding. She thrived in it. She built businesses. She became a mother. She became a partner. She became deeply involved in her community. The dream of law didn’t disappear — it simply learned how to wait. After nearly 15 years in the workforce, it was love that nudged her back toward her first calling.

Her partner — Noveleta Mayor Dino Angeles — had once dreamed of becoming a lawyer himself.

“He told me, ‘Ikaw na lang magpatuloy,’ (You will be the one to continue ),” she recalled with a smile. That gentle push was all it took.

She enrolled at San Beda College Alabang School of Law, returning not as a fresh graduate, but as a woman already carrying many lives within her own — children, businesses, responsibilities, expectations.

She set a quiet promise to herself. “My target was to be a lawyer at 40,” she said. “I didn’t rush. I just knew I had to finish.”

The art of carrying everything

There is no romance in balancing law school with motherhood — only discipline, sacrifice, and an unshakeable sense of priority.

“Family always comes first,” Angeles said. “I made sure they never felt less important.”

Birthdays were attended. School programs were not missed. Life continued — while cases were read late into the night. She survived because she was supported by family who showed up, by partners who stepped back when she needed to step forward, by people who believed in her even when she was too tired to believe in herself.

“I guess I was just very fortunate to have supportive people around me, that’s why I was able to accomplish everything,” she said simply.

The night she almost let go

Every long journey has a breaking point. For Angeles, it came in October 2020, in the middle of a pandemic. She gave birth — and four days later, she was expected to take her midterm exams.

“That was the only time I cried in law school,” she admitted.

She was in pain. She was sleepless. She was learning how to be a mother again — while trying to understand legal concepts that suddenly felt impossible.

“I couldn’t understand anything,” she said.

But she wasn’t alone. Her family stepped in. Her mother took over baby duties. Her partner reminded her she could still do this. And somehow — she did. From the night she almost let go of her dreams, a morning that changed everything came. Then Bar results day arrived, and Angeles chose to stay home.

“Whether I passed or failed, I wanted to be with the people who supported me,” she said. She prayed. She waited.

When her name appeared on the list, tears fell freely — not from shock, but from release. What she didn’t know was that her parents were waiting at the Supreme Court, certain their daughter would make it.

Becoming who she was always meant to be

Today, Atty. Bernice Marie S. Angeles wears her title with quiet confidence — and deeper purpose. She wants her children to see what patience looks like. What faith looks like. What perseverance looks like.

“With prayers and hard work, you’ll be able to achieve,” she said.

Her advice to those who feel left behind by time is gentle but firm:

“Don’t pressure yourself. Take your time.” “If you need to rest, rest.”

She believes her success was never delayed — only perfectly timed.

“This is God’s perfect timing,” she said.

No deadlines, only courage

Angeles may be a lawyer now — but more importantly, she is proof.

Proof that dreams do not expire.

Proof that purpose waits patiently.

Proof that starting again is not failure — it is faith.

“There is no deadline to pursuing life’s aspirations,” she said.

And perhaps the line that lingers the longest:

“Study hard,” she smiled, “but pray hardest.”

Because when the calling is real, it will always — always — find its way back to you.