MANILA, Philippines – As they say, one is never too old to live the life of their dreams. For a senior citizen and grandmother from Sogod, Southern Leyte, becoming a lawyer at the age of 65 is indeed a dream come true.

Atty. Nancy Regis’ story will inspire everyone to remember that pursuing our dreams knows no age. On Facebook, Atty. Napoleon, Nancy’s son, shared their pride in their mother’s path to becoming a lawyer. Atty. Nancy was among the 3,992 passers of the 2022 Bar Examinations, announced by the Supreme Court on Friday, April 14.

According to Napoleon, his mother’s dream was put on hold for over 40 years. She became pregnant at the age of 23 and decided not to pursue law school in order to start a family. As a mother, Atty. Nancy prioritized her children over her dreams.

Atty. Nancy Regis bar exam passer at 65
It took Atty. Nancy Regis over 40 years to achieve her dream of becoming a lawyer | Photo Courtesy: Facebook/ Napoleon Regis

Napoleon wrote, “She made a choice to set aside her dreams and put first the dreams of her children to finish school. Life was hard; life was tough, but they all made it through.”

It took a long while for Atty. Nancy to pursue law school again. She got pregnant with a son and had to battle a serious medical condition. But, after surviving, she took her chance and finally pursued her dream of attending law school. She juggled working as a government employee and studying as a law student while being a wife, mother, grandmother, and even an entrepreneur.

Finally, in 2020, she graduated from law school and became a Juris Doctor. When the November 2022 Bar Exam drew near, Napoleon and his family didn’t pressure their mother but supported her in taking the examination.

Napoleon wrote, “We frequently reminded her that being able to graduate from law school, go through the bar review, and take the bar exam together with people twice or thrice as young as her age is already something to celebrate! So just keep calm and take the exam as if it’s just another pop-up quiz.”

When the results came out, Atty. Nancy passed the Bar Exam in just one take. And no one could be more proud of her than her family. “My mother is finally a lawyer at 65 years old!” Napoleon wrote.

The proud son encouraged everyone to use their mother’s story as inspiration to not let financial constraints, having a family or age prevent them from achieving their goals. He wrote, “Hang on to that flicker of hope inside you, and let this be a sign, a testament that in time, in God’s precious perfect time, also YOU CAN MAKE IT!”

— Sally, The Summit Express