I first encountered the phrase Perseverancia Vincit in 4th grade. At the time, it was just something my teacher used to say to encourage us - “perseverance conquers.” It sounded nice, but I didn’t fully grasp the weight of those words. It stayed with me over the years, but I never truly understood its meaning until I found myself in the thick of the AREs.
Fast forward to my first round of the AREs. I took all 6 exams, and I failed 5 of them. The disappointment was overwhelming. After months of preparation, to come up short felt like a major setback. But in that low moment, the words Perseverancia Vincit came back to me. For the first time, I truly understood what they meant. Failure wasn’t the end; it was part of the process. That phrase became my anchor. I pushed forward, and on my second attempt, I passed 4 out of 5 exams, including 2 exams within a span of 24 hours. The lesson wasn’t about avoiding failure but persevering through it.
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