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A Walk in the Park; Law School Journey

Hi there! I am June Ann P. Desaville, single, in my early forties, third child in the family,
and a proud morena. I have three other siblings, my older brother, older sister, and a
younger brother. Would you like to have a walk in the park with me? Good. Now, allow
me to tell you a personal story of my journey in law school, the whys and hows, and
everything in between.

I was working then as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW), a couple of years ago. I
never really planned of going home for good, but my mother was so thin and sickly. She
repeatedly told me, “Dili ko katulog nak, sige kog huna-huna nimo.” Despite my
continued assurance for more than three years, that I was okay and doing fine, still my
mother was worrying too much about me. It is as if I’m still young and needs protection.
Finally, after several conversations, my Mama and my siblings were able to convince
me to go home. I went home for the sake of everyone and for my own peace of mind.
The initial plan was for me to manage the farm while going to law school. But, the
former was not materialized, so I felt compelled to push through with the other part of
the plan. To make the story short, I inquired at several law schools for the requirements
as an aspiring law student. Unfortunately, I learned that the Philippine Law School
Admission Test (PhiLSat) that year (2018) was close for admission. I was left with no
choice but to wait for the following year. While waiting, I was bored so I look for a job. I
was recommended to work at one of the parishes here in General Santos City as a
substitute employee (Cashier/Admin). I had a good experience there for a short period
of time until I took PhiLSat and Mindanao State University College of Law Extension’s
entrance exam. Half-hearted then, I was like, “Okay, if I failed these tests, law school is
not for me, and if i passed, then, proceed with the plan.” Luckily, I passed on both
occasions, thanks to Ate Susan (one of the liturgists and officers of the parish) and my
sister-in-law, the bearers of the good news. So, “This is it, pancit!”

Fast forward, here came the Academic Year 2019-2020, I was a freshman. Again! To
be honest, I had no idea really what I was getting myself into. The last time I went to
school was ages ago, like 2005, if I’m not mistaken. I felt so embarrassed because I
was one of the so called “thunders” or “oldies” in our section – Plato. I sat at the back,
most of the time, towards the left most portion of the classroom observing and listening
to the other students going about their experiences during their college days, their
classmates and acquaintances, their ideas or stock knowledge about the subjects, the
rumours about the professors, and what have yous. My god!

My first year in law school was a huge struggle. I was a bit culture shocked. I never
imagined it would be that hard. I mean, I know it is hard, but I didn’t realize until later
(when everything sank in and I was fully immersed) that it is actually H-A-R-D. I couldn’t
understand what I was reading, my slow phasing, and my poor memory. Many times I
questioned myself or doubted myself and tried to quit. Questions upon questions
overwhelmed my mind. Why am I here? Why am I really here? What am I doing? Am I
wasting my time and effort? What about my family’s resources? “Ano ba tong pinasok
mo, June?” I kept asking myself these questions, over and over again. What’s the
purpose of all this? Will I make it to the finish line? Will I make my Mama proud? Or will I
be a disappointment in my family? It was like everything seems to be going wrong. I got
“sabaw” recits, “lutang” mind, “nakakahiyang” scenarios inside the classroom,
“sinaradong” door, “mababang” scores, “palakol” grades, “at kung anu-ano pa”. But, it
is what it is. Law school is law school. “Kung masakit ang ulo mo”, suck it up! “Kung
hindi mo feel magbasa o mag-aral”, suck it up! “Kung inaantok ka o nahihirapan na”,
suck it up! “Kung masyadong maraming assigned readings or cases”, suck it up! They
are all part of the package. Going to law school is a privilege and at the same time a
great responsibility. I can’t complain anymore. No one forced me to be here. If I felt
pushed by my family at the beginning, I can’t point fingers at them now. It’s not their
fault. I made a decision. I chose law school. Sabi nga nila, “Nabasa ka na ng ulan,
maligo ka na lang.” Time to continue and fight! I have learned that sometimes, I must
lose a battle in order to win a war. That sometimes, it is okay not to be okay. Rest if I
must, but I must not quit.

When I was young, I was a sickly child, physically. So, every now and then, I was
admitted to the hospital due to my weak body. When I was in grader, high school, even
until college, I was bullied because of the color of my skin. I was not performing well at
school. Obviously I was not a bright student or a promising one. I came to school on a
regular basis, but it was like I was physically there, except that I was spiritually absent.
My mind was always somewhere else. I was busy trying to answer my own existential
questions, trying to reflect my purpose in life, and reading psychology books. I was
trying to understand people, in a belief that by understanding them, I will be able to
finally understand myself. But, little did I know that I couldn’t, for it wasn’t the right time
yet. Honestly, I never thought that I would reach this far, let alone being a law student. It
was some kind of a miracle for me. What I’m trying to say here is that, everyone is going
through something, facing a battle we do not know of. But, I believe that there is a
reason for everything. And that what I’ve been through and all the experiences I’ve got
are an aggregrate to the accomplishment of this noble endeavor.

Some say, law school is a walk in the park. Is it true? What do you think? Well, it is a
walk for sure, because I have to move along, to come and go, to pursue, to act, to
follow, to perform a lot of tasks. And what’s in a park? A park may consist of grassy
areas, rocks, soil, flowers, and trees; but may also contain buildings and other artifacts
such as monuments, fountains or playground structures. By analogy, law school is
indeed a walk in the park. But this time, a Jurassic park. Ha ha! With all the readings,
assignments, cases, and sleepless nights; pressure and stress at work, school, even
inside the walls of my home. Scary park nga! At dahil dyan, marami pa akong kakaining
bigas at matagal tagal na pagsusunog ng kilay.

Some say, having a baccalaureate degree in Political Science or being a Certified

Public Accountant (CPA) or having a major in English subject is a huge advantage in
law school. Sometimes, worse is, that being a graduate of one of the prestigious
schools in the country is a great edge. Might be true, but “May kasabihan po tayo, daig
ng masipag ang matalino.” Ha ha! Seriously, though, perseverance and discipline is the
key. I’ve learned that no matter where we came from, what university we graduated,
what course we’ve taken, who our parents or relatives are, the color of our skin, political
affiliation, religion, belief, position in the company, race, ethnicity, nationality, class, sex,
gender, language, dialect, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, health, similarities,
differences, other status, or whatnot – in law school, all students are in equal footing.
That means, you and I, my friend has the same level, a cool chance.

Every new semester, on the first day of class in each subject, one of the favourite
getting-to-know questions of our professors was “What’s the reason why you enrolled in
law school?” Goodness gracious this kind of inquiry! Ha ha! But, mind you, until now I
couldn’t beat my answers to this one. I used to say that some of the reasons why I
enrolled in law school are: first, to fulfil my father’s dream, of becoming a lawyer;
second, to help my family; lastly, to help others. Sometimes, I tried to ponder on the
shallowness of my reasons. Can I hold on to them when things get tough? Are they
valid enough to get me through the finish line? When my mind is challenged, when my
body is shaken, and my spirit is crushed – will they serve as my silver lining? Truthfully,
I don’t know. But this time, I would like to reflect on law school as more of a privilege. I
mean, there are hundreds or even thousands of people who wanted to study law, but
were not given the opportunity to do so. For so many reasons that I am not aware of,
maybe, lack of financial support, encouragement, determination, to name a few. To all
those who have exceptional minds and unwavering spirits with numerous awards and
recognitions, who are more worthy than I am, I am truly humbled and grateful. I will
remember the privilege and the blessing.

Currently, I am on my second year second semester under Section B. I have twenty

three (23) units with eight (8) different subjects. All is well in school, but I am still trying
to adopt with the new norm, learning and relearning everything, understanding my
phasing, improving my attitude towards work and school, establishing a new study
habit, developing a strong self-discipline, polishing what needs to be polished, and
changing what needs to be changed. Two to three years more to go.

I am June Ann P. Desaville and I am a proud Mu Kappan Neophyte. Surviving the first
three Sundays and hopefully the fourth one with the help of my batch mates; Raydan
“Influenza” Tangwayan, Zonix “Rabies” Lomboy, Nikke “SARS-COV” Serato; our Frater
Vindex Gerard Oliver Savaris Wang and Soror Vindex Karen Joan Animo Figuracion,
and all our Masters and Ladies. By far, the first Sunday was intense and the most
memorable one, there were a lot of challenges and obstacles. We were taught to trust
not only our batch mates, but including our masters and ladies. We were reminded to
stay humble always and trust the process. The second Sunday was kind of playful yet
sort of disgusting. I love the hospitality of the residents there; the food was abundant
and great! The spirit of service to the community was the main lesson and to look after
our planet was emphasized. On the third Saturday/Sunday, we were busy preparing for
the food and the MKP Night. However, I was beaten by a bee on my right middle finger
and had an allergic reaction so I was not able to finish all the activities. Thank you
Masters and Ladies for everything, for accompanying me to the hospital, for your
patience, consideration, and generosity. I cried on several occasions during the training
or initiation, but all is well.

Again, allow me Masters, Ladies, and Vindexes to thank you all for teaching us the
values of humility, persistence, teamwork, dedication, bravery, creativity,
transcendence, understanding, forgiveness, gratitude, love, and service. You may ask
why did I choose to join the Noble House of Mu Kappa Phi National Exclusive Law
Fraternity and Sorority instead of the others? Well, I may say, to be able to find support
because law school is hard, to have mentors to help me with my law school journey,
and for future professional network, given the opportunity, God willing. With Mu Kappa
Phi, I couldn’t think of anything better than this.

Do not stop when you are tired, stop when you are done. Looking forward for the final
Sunday. Aja, fighting!