I hope you are well. This email is WAY overdue but I have not had a day off since the Bar. I went back to work on Thursday and it really was like I never left. But, I am here now.

Throughout the past few months, I expressed my gratitude to you and thanked you for all that you do and did for me. But to be honest, there is much more to it than a plain thank you from me. This Bar prep with you saved me. I can't be dramatic and say it "saved my life," but I am doing it justice by saying that it saved me.

The past 3 years of my life have been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. From fighting the immigration system to struggling through a series of personal issues, I had been beaten down. When I received the "We are sorry but you did not pass the July 2019 Bar Exam," I felt so defeated. At that time, and afterward, I was battling an abusive relationship. I had given another person the license to persuade me into thinking that they know me better than I know myself. And in that process, I lost myself. I lost all confidence and frankly, I did not trust myself anymore. When I began Bar prep with you, I was still fighting through those emotions and mental attachments. I simply had allowed the situations that life had placed me in, and another person, define who I am. It took me some time, but I would say right around mid-January something happened. I found myself.

For months, I had lost the spark that got me up every single day. I had really gone down a hole I never thought I would be in. And it wasn't just failing the Bar, but it was the accumulation of life AND failing the Bar. But this is where you came in. You truly showed me not only that I should believe in myself and trust myself, but you showed me WHY I should so. You helped me see that knowing myself is the most important thing to hold on to--it is what had led me to persevere through so many obstacles and it was what allowed me to push through the past few months. To be honest, I had never in my life been more focused than I was in the month of February. I felt that I could receive the worst news about my Dad, my ex could show up at my door the day of the Bar, but I was still going to take the exam because I had earned my seat in that auditorium.

On the day of the exam on both days, I looked at the check-in sign and smiled and then out of nowhere started to cry; but these were good tears. I felt so prepared and nothing felt better than that.

Now, I would be lying if I said that I don't think about my results every single day and that I am not still afraid of failing--because I am. I think about it every day and I am nervous for the results every day. But, from a big picture standpoint, I truly learned a lesson out of this. With your help, I found myself again--and nothing is more rewarding than that.

Thank you, Debbie. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

All my best,

Y."