Working student-CPA aims for Top 8 finish but emerges No. 1 in 2019 Bar exams

Mae Diane Azores prepared for the 2019 Bar examinations with a very specific goal in mind: place 8th in the overall ranking. It was in front of her study table, where she spent most of her time; it was in her planner; it was in her prayers. It turned out that the number holds a special meaning for her.

That was why, emerging from "airplane mode" on Wednesday, she was surprised to find out that she had not only scored higher than Top 8 but edged out every other person who took the tests last year.

"Kaya nung lumabas po na top 1, hindi po ako makapaniwala. Kasi more than pa po 'yung binigay ni Lord," she told GMA News Online in a phone interview. 

Azores, of the University of Santo Tomas Legazpi (formerly Aquinas University) had a rating of 91.0490% in the 2019 Bar exams. Only 27.36 of the takers --  2,103 out of 7,685 -- passed.

When she was reviewing for the Bar in Manila, Azores said she would wake up as early as 4 a.m. to study for 10 to 12 hours straight, only after which would she catch up with friends and family.

Even on "exhausting" days, she would put in at least eight hours of study, she said. She said this setup took getting used to, as she had been a working student who had to squeeze in study time after work.

Azores, who is also a certified public accountant, is an auditor at the regional office of the Commission on Audit in Bicol. She was with the Department of Social Welfare and Development when she was in law school.

She said her drive to become one of the top scorers in the Bar was influenced by her professors and friends who believed she could do it. Her first goal was to pass, of course, but she said she prayed: "Lord, ipasa mo po ako... kung will mo po talaga, sana po Lord mag-topnotcher din ako kahit top 8 lang."

Azores said "8" was more than just a number for her.

"I am a devotee of Mama Mary and the number 8 was always related to her by the Catholic Church - like her birthday and Immaculate Conception," she said, referring to September 8 and December 8, respectively.

One top scorer in the previous year's Bar exams caught her attention when they posted on Twitter they had claimed early on that they would be the top 3, she said. This inspired her to claim her own triumph: writing it in her planner and placing it in front of her study desk.

She said her studies meant giving up a significant amount of time. "Pero kung desidido ka talaga, talagang gagawan mo ng paraan," she said, adding that she promised herself this would be her first and last Bar exams.

On Wednesday, results day, she said she went to church to light a candle, went home to watch online mass, placed her phone on airplane mode, and prayed the rosary.

When she turned her phone back on, she said a schoolmate had delivered the news.

She said she was "very grateful" for the achievement.

While she recognized the lack of lawyers in government, she said she was keeping her options open and considering all offers. She said she would like to pursue labor law or taxation law and is also interested in teaching.

She said she will celebrate with her family and is looking to reach out to frontliners.

"Pinangako ko kay Lord, sabi ko pag pumasa ako, ang celebration ko na lang is siguro mamimigay ng relief goods or mag papakain sa frontliners," she said. -MDM, GMA News