Sweet vindication for this Bar topnotcher

A “redemption.”

This was how Mark John Simondo, 31, and a graduate of the University of St. La Salle-

Bacolod described his achievement of topping the 2017 Bar Examination with a grade of 91.05 percent.

“I did not expect to be the topnotcher. I was aiming for the top 10 but I lowered my expectations because there were some parts of the bar exams that were difficult. I told myself even if I just passed, I would be okay as long as I would not have to take the bar again,” he said.

Apparently, he was smarting from his performance in the Nursing board exam where he had hoped to land in the top 10 but only
ended up among the passers.

Simondo, a son of a retired policeman, first took up nursing and graduated magna cum laude from USLS.

“I just passed (the board exam) but I did not top it,” he said.

It was while working as a registered nurse when he realized that it was not his calling. He just didn’t enjoy it.

Simondo decided to take up law in USLS. Even on his first day in the College of Law, he already aimed to make it in the top 10. He didn’t realize that he would end up topping one of most difficult licensure examinations in the country.

Simondo is the son of retired SPO4 Noli Simondo of the Bacolod police and Edith Simondo, who is in the United States to take care of her mother. His younger brother, FO1 Michael John Simondo, is a fireman in Bacolod.

Simondo said he was working as a volunteer and reliever nurse at a hospital when he discovered that it was not the job for him.

“I found out that the hospital was not for me, I was clumsy … I looked for another course and my choice was accountancy or law,” he said.

A friend, who was an accountant, said law would be the better option so he went for it. And indeed it was a better option. Simondo was the College of Law class 2017 valedictorian and earned the best thesis award.

A member of the law school’s moot court team for three years, he has represented the school in the Stetson Environmental Law, the ICRC International Humanitarian Law, and the Philip Jessup International Law Moot Competitions.