Embracing Challenges and Becoming a Sailor of Success

“Smooth seas don’t make good sailors.” This is how Atty. Mary Chris Gulle, CPA, describes her journey towards becoming a lawyer.

A simple yet profound statement embodies the essence of her experiences as she navigates the challenging waters of law school on her path to become a lawyer. Rather than fearing the tides and obstacles that arise, she embraces them as opportunities for growth and learning.

As the law school journey prepares students to embark on a lifelong voyage as legal professionals, join us as we delve into her uplifting statements where determination, passion, and resilience shaped her into one of the sailors in the waters of the legal profession.

RJM: What inspired you to pursue a career in law, and how has that inspiration guided you through your journey in law school?

Atty. MCG: The untimely demise of my father 11 years ago, and the fact that we did not get any justice from it, was my motivation to become a lawyer. I wanted to contribute something to our justice system and I aspire to be an instrument that could serve justice where it is due.

Also, Atty. Minveles V. Beloncio-Gulle, my mom as a role model. I grew up witnessing how she juggled being a mom, a wife, a daughter, a teacher, and a law student, and how she successfully rose to the challenge and became a lawyer. This fact inspired me to persevere and to always try to do my best in law school.

RJM: What were the challenges you faced during your law school journey and how did you manage to balance your personal and professional life?

Atty. MCG: My law school journey is “rigorous”. It was intellectually challenging, emotionally exhausting, financially draining, and physically laborious.

Thinking back, I could say that I barely balanced my personal and professional life during law school, especially when I was just starting. My time with family and friends was sacrificed as I had to prioritize my work which was my bread and butter at that time, and of course studying for classes and exams.

The top challenge for me was my financial difficulties during law school. I was a recent board passer when I enrolled myself in law school, and my salary from my job at that time was honestly not enough, considering that I was paying for my schooling and I had financial obligations in our home. For several times, I thought of stopping to focus on finding a stable and well- paying job. But with the motivation of the people around me who saw my potential, and everytime I remembered my why’s, coupled with God’s grace and sustenance, I was able to carry on.

RJM: How important was having a support system during your law school journey, especially while juggling work and other responsibilities?

Atty. MCG: I’d say it is very important. Law school itself was already challenging and draining, what more when you had to juggle it with work which was very demanding as well. Nonetheless, what made law school bearable was having kind classmates who shared the same struggles as me, and going home to people who understood my why’s. Thankfully, I was blessed to have supportive people around me who understood my priorities then. I was blessed enough to be surrounded by the right people in this journey – my understanding family, my better half Atty. Pineda, my Trending Plato classmates, and my supportive friends.

RJM: How did you manage to overcome the self-doubt you experienced in the early years of your law school journey? Can you share a specific memorable moment or experience that taught you a valuable lesson?

Atty. MCG: There were several times, especially when I was in the first two (2) years of my study, that no matter how many times I read a topic, I felt like I could not remember it at all – resulting in me sometimes skipping classes and depressing myself over the possibility that lawyering is not for me. But I learned that the beginning is always the hardest, and as long as you keep showing up, working hard and giving your all, the hard stuff will eventually become bearable. So, being a working student, I picked the habit of studying everytime I had the chance – during breaktimes at work, before going to school, before classes start, and every after classes when I get home from school, I would try to study at least 2 to 3 hours every night before going to sleep. Also, due to time constraints, I picked the habit of reading really fast as I tend to retain information when I read it repeatedly.

As one were unforgettable for me was during a class where our group was the assigned reporter for the session. Having just lost my grandmother, it took my all to just be present and report in class. Just when I was minutes into my discussion, our professor interrupted me and said that my brain was scattered. I felt bitter hearing those words, thinking that who in the world would get it together when they just lost a loved one, but I reflected later on.  I realized that our personal issues do not matter in the classroom, what more in the court room where the life, liberty or property of another is on the line.

RJM: What was the ultimate thing that you can say made you pass the bar exam?

Atty. MCG: I would say that there were two things that made me pass the bar – Preparation and prayers.

Preparation. I took a leave without pay from work to prepare for the bar review and the bar exam. For the first time in more than 5 years, I had only one thing on my mind – passing the bar. Thus, I tried to give it my all during the bar review, although human as I am, there were days when I was only able to read 10 pages or I took a break because of health concerns.

During the bar review, I made a calendar for me to follow as my study schedule for each bar subject. Again, since I tend to master topics when I repeatedly read them, I plotted my calendar in a way that I will be able to read each subject three times from July to October 2022. But adjustments had to be made along the way due to information overload and exhaustion. Nonetheless, I tried to read all subjects at least twice before the Pre-week. Moreover, I regularly quizzed myself to check whether I retained what I read, and to practice the form of my answers. Likewise, I made a hiatus in social media, except messenger and twitter to be informed of updates regarding the bar. I also allowed myself to watch 2 episodes of k-drama per week, for sanity break.

Prayers. My mom advised me to pray before starting my study session – for guidance, wisdom and divine intervention, and after every study session – to thank God for the productive day and for retention. Aside from my personal prayers, I was surrounded by my very own prayer warriors, among those – Atty. Gulle and Atty. Pineda, especially during the waiting season when all that filled my mind were my mistakes and lapses during the bar exams.

RJM: What advice would you give to someone who is seeking inspiration to pursue a career in law or who may be struggling to stay motivated in their legal education?

Atty. MCG: To all those who are struggling to stay motivated in their legal education - Just remember your why- why you started, and why you wanted to become a lawyer. When I was in fourth year, the pandemic and the loss of my grandmother shifted my mentality to survival mode which made me forget my why's. I lost all motivation and I only wanted to finish law school just for the sake of finishing it. Before I graduated, my first thought was to defer in taking the bar because I thought that I already accomplished my goal- that was to survive. However, with the support and motivation of the people around me, I again started thinking about my why's and as such, I decided to take the bar. Thankfully I did, otherwise I would have been filled with regrets at this time.

RJM: How do you plan to use your legal education and as a lawyer, to make a positive impact in society?

Atty. MCG: I am very vocal on my goal to someday enter the prosecution. I believe that Prosecutors play a crucial role in upholding the rule of law and maintaining the integrity of the justice system.

Atty. Mary Chris Beloncio Gulle, CPA, graduated as Valedictorian of Batch Ad Meliora in Mindanao State University College of Law, General Santos City Extension. She was one of the successful examinees who took the 2022 Bar Exam.