MARK John Simondo, the 2017 Bar examination topnotcher from the University of St. La Salle (USLS), is an inspiration to the people of Bacolod City and Negros Occidental, top officials said Thursday.
In a press conference last night at 21 Bar and Restaurant, Simondo said he worked hard for the exam but he never expected to be on top.
“But I am grateful to everyone who was instrumental in my success especially to God Almighty for His Divine Providence,” he said.
Simondo said he prepared for the bar exam and that his preparation started since his first day in law school. “I really tried to do very well in all the subjects, treating all subjects as if I am taking a review in the bar exams. My preparations started from Day 1.”
“I studied hard. Miraculously, I was healthier during the review. I prepared physically, mentally and spiritually. I prayed every day. I became more religious during the bar review,” he added.
He plans to enter public service but he is also inclined to take business and corporate law. His passion is in that field.
But he said he is open to any other options as the oath-taking is still a month away and “I still have time to plan what I really wanted to do.”
He urged those who want to become lawyers to stop thinking and enroll right away to law school because it is only in law school that they will realize whether they fit for the law or not.
Simondo graduated from law school in 2017 as valedictorian.
Prior to law school, he was actually a registered nurse. He graduated magna cum laude in nursing from USLS in 2009.
He said he changed his career path because “I was not exactly the best nurse out there. I had a lot of close calls in nurse...hospital was not for me.”
This is the reason why he chose law because it is “far away from the hospital.”
He considers himself an underdog, as he treated his classmates to have intellectual prowess than himself.
In a phone interview, Simondo’s father, retired Senior Police Officer 4 Noli Simondo, said they couldn’t believe his son topped the bar with a grade of 91.05 percent.
This is because the bar exam recorded a passing rate of 25.55%, he said, adding that he feared his son “might be one of the casualties.”
The father recalled that it was a very challenging first year for his son at the College of Law.
He remembered telling his son that if he felt pressured, he has to quit. After all, he is still a registered nurse and he can always apply for work abroad.
But his son persevered in his studies, he added.
The newly-minted lawyer is the eldest of two siblings. His younger brother is also a registered nurse and is now working at the Bureau of Fire Protection, while his mother, Editha, was out of the country for a vacation when the result came out Thursday.
The elderly Simondo said that Mark was also an honor student during his elementary and high school years, in the lower top 10.
Inspiration
In a press statement, Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. said that hard work really paid off for Simondo.
“Our sincerest congratulations, therefore, to the new Bar topnotcher and his family, as well as the USLS for producing an alumnus, who will truly be an inspiration to young Negrenses,” he said, adding that Simondo’s record in the Bar exam is “no ordinary feat. He actually made history with a passing mark of 91.050 percent. His result consequently breached for the first time in 16 years the 90 percent passing mark.”
To think that the Bar last year was, needless to say, difficult only 25.5 percent made it or only 1,700 passed out of 6,749 examinees, he added.
He lauded Simondo “for such a great accomplishment at a very young age.”
Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said, “This is a proud moment for Bacolod for finally, we have produced a number 1 Bar topnotcher.”
“We have proven that we have local talents who are at par with the best in Manila and elsewhere. Simondo will be a source of inspiration to the people of Bacolod in general, and law students in particular,” he said.
Meanwhile, Simondo was joined by USLS president Bro. Kenneth Martinez, USLS College of Law dean Rosanne Juliana Gonzaga, and former dean Ralph Sarmiento during the press conference.
Martinez said: “many things have not been written about the achievements of La Salle only because we believe that the rest of the achievement should be done with no notice, with no fanfare, which is the real work of a Lasallian.”
Simondo was actually the first topnotcher the law school ever produced since its inception 25 years ago.
“We are honored by what Mark has achieved,” Martinez said.
“This gives an emphasis for us to continue to support the College of Law because you never know whether a gem would really shine because all the time, it has been hidden quietly with no notice,” he said.
He said La Salle is very modest and pragmatic. “It just gave La Salle greater initiative to sustain the excellence that we began. The vigilance over standards and making sure that we do our best, whether we top it or not. Nobody in his right mind promised to beat them again. It is quite impossible. There are so many variables. But today, we believe we did it,” he said.
Gonzaga said the College of Law is both happy and proud of Simondo, who was the Best Thesis awardee.
As a member of the USLS Moot Court team for three years, he represented the law school in Stetson Environmental Law, ICRC International Humanitarian Law, and Philipp Jessup International Law moot court competitions.
“Our hearts are filled with gratefulness for this blessing and our spirit is truly joyful as we come together to share the achievements of our law students wherein 12 of them passed the Bar exams with Simondo being the number 1 bar topnotcher,” she said.
“As the College of Law celebrates its 25th founding anniversary this year, we promised to continue delivering quality education while inculcating the guiding principles and values which are fundamental to the Lasallian community: the spirit of faith, zeal for service and communion in mission,” she said.
Sarmiento said Simondo is brilliant in his understanding of the law, “he has very sharp analytical skills, and has superb writing skills.”
“Since the first year, I already saw his potential to become a Bar topnotcher. In fact, I was able to post my congratulation photo on Facebook right away because I had already prepared that several days ago,” he added.