Dabawenya shines at Ateneo Law School

ANOTHER female graduate of Bachelor of Laws at Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) School of Law has proven once again that Dabawenyas do not possess beauty alone, but brains as well.

Alexis Nolasco Cimagala is among this year's 13 Law graduates from Ateneo who received academic excellence awards, a feat that made her Dabawenyo parents, and every Dabawenyo, as well, proud.

Alexis received a Certificate of Second Honors (equivalent to magna cum laude) and a medallion given during ADMU Law School's 66th Annual Commencement Exercises last April 15.

Alexis, an academic achiever from pre-school all the way to her post-graduate school, ia a true-blue Dabawenya.

She was born on April 9, 1986 in Makati City to a retired international airline pilot from Calinan, and Sol Nolasco, a realtor from Toril.

Although she spent her elementary and college days in Manila, she always made it a point to be with her family, relatives and friends in Davao City during summer and Christmas breaks.

"In her teenage years, all her Christmas and summer vacations were spent here in Davao City and Samal," her proud mother Sol said.

She said her daughter spent a year of early pre-school at Philippine Women's College-Davao.

Alexis spent her pre-school years at OB Montessori, Dasmarinas Village in Makati City. She then studied at Assumption College, also in Makati, where she graduated high school with honors.

She decided to pursue college at a state-run university after she passed the University of the Philippines College Admission Test. She took up Bachelor of Science in Economics at UP, where she also graduated with honors. She was among UP's Centennial Graduates in 2008.

Although her academic achievements were basically based on her grades, Alexis believes these do not measure the "true worth" of a person.
In her high school yearbook, Alexis has this to say: "Grades do not measure your true worth; you are worth much, much more than numbers."

And she also learned this from high school: "Humility is the perfect alternative to pride. Never let your emotions get the best of you."

Alexis is now focusing on her review for the Bar Exams in October. After which, she will travel for a year in the United States and Europe to visit her relatives and friends -- a gift from her grandparents for a job well done.