She Failed the Bar Exam by 1 Point. But It's What She Did with Her Celebratory Cake That Went Viral (Exclusive)
Steffanie Pasquale committed to studying full-time from May through July 2024 in preparation for her first attempt at taking the bar exam
The day the results were released, her fiancé surprised her that morning with flowers, balloons and a cake ready to celebrate
But when the couple went to check Pasquale's scores, they learned she hadn't passedNothing could have prepared Steffanie Pasquale for just how intense studying for the bar exam would be. Like many test takers, she found the process both rigorous and all-consuming.
The Pensacola, Fla., native committed to studying full-time from May through July 2024 in preparation for her first attempt. When exam day arrived, her fiancé, Logan, was confident she'd pass on her first try. So, when they learned the results would be released in September, he surprised her that morning with flowers, balloons and a cake ready to celebrate.
But things didn't go as planned.
'I was working from home that day and had a bit of privacy when the results came out,' the 26-year-old tells PEOPLE exclusively. 'I actually asked Logan to check the list for me. I gave him my bar exam number so he could look as soon as it was posted.'
'That's when he quietly came in and told me I hadn't passed,' she adds.
The news was tough. Pasquale allowed herself to feel the weight of the moment — shedding a few tears before calling her boss and family to share what had happened. Though disappointed, she was touched by the overwhelming support and encouragement she received.
Determined to try again, she began planning her next steps. That's when an idea struck: she would save the cake for the day she finally passed.
'Freezing the cake felt like setting another goal,' she says. 'It symbolized that my celebration was delayed, not denied. It felt wrong to throw it away after all the hard work I had put in, so I thought, 'Let me just save it until it's really my time.' '
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She stored it in a simple glass container in her freezer, then went back to work hitting the books. In February, she sat for the exam again.
After the test, Pasquale anxiously counted down the days until the results were released. While the Florida bar announces the date, it doesn't share the exact time. That morning, she was filming her makeup routine for a TikTok video while getting ready for work, trying to stay distracted.
While she was doing so, around 7:45 a.m. CT, the results quietly went live, but she hadn't noticed. Logan had been refreshing the website nonstop. He'd saved her exam number from the first attempt and was ready to check the list the moment it was posted. Then finally, he saw it: she had passed!
' 'Steff, can I tell you something?' ' she remembers him saying before revealing the exciting news. She had already expressed how anxious she was about checking the results herself, so having Logan deliver the news was a huge relief.
Right away, they immediately FaceTimed Pasquale's mom to share the update.
'When he told me, it was like the biggest weight lifted off my shoulders,' she says. 'I immediately thought, 'Oh my gosh, it's finally over. I did it. And I can finally eat that cake!' I was just so overwhelmed with happy emotions.'
'It was absolutely the best slice of cake I've ever had,' she adds. 'It stayed really fresh! But more than that, it became a reminder that good things take time. With hard work, dedication and motivation, I could still make my dream a reality. The cake really became a symbol of everything I'd overcome.'
Not long after, Pasquale took to TikTok to share the news and reveal that she'd finally eaten the cake. While she was initially hesitant, she decided it was important to show others that success isn't always a straight path.
To her surprise, the video went viral, capturing the attention of more than 1 million people.
'The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive,' she says. 'A lot of people related to the story, saying, 'That happened to me too,' or telling me how I had helped them through their law school and bar prep journeys. I've even had people recognize me in person from TikTok, sharing their own experiences and thanking me. One person told me they thought, 'What would Steff do?' during their law school torts final exam — and that moment made me realize that what I'm doing really is making a difference in the bar prep world and even legal education.'
"I am so grateful that a failure — something that was initially so devastating — has helped me guide others, connect with people, share my story and be a mentor," she adds. "Because of this, I had the opportunity to share my study journey online with others going through the same thing. It has truly been a full circle moment, and I can't wait to continue sharing this journey into my next bar exam and into my professional career as an attorney."
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