A 96-year-old man named Giuseppe Paterno has bagged a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy at the University of Palermo in Italy, setting a record as the oldest-ever graduate in the country.
Paterno made history after he obtained a bachelor’s degree in history and Philosophy at the University of Palermo, Palermo Italy. He not only graduated as the oldest graduate in his class but also in the country.
“I am a normal person, like many others. In terms of age, I have surpassed all the others but I didn’t do it for this. I said, ‘That’s it, now or never,’ and so in 2017, I decided to enroll,” Paterno said according to People.
Paterno, who is a former railway worker, earned the bachelors degree within three years and was commended by his family and the university’s staff and students who are mostly 70-years younger than he is.
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“I understood that it was a little late to get a three-year degree but I said to myself, ‘Let’s see if I can do it,'” he said. Paterno mentioned that he grew up in a poor family before the Great Depression and only received basic schooling in his childhood.
He eventually joined the Navy and served during World War II after which he pursued a career working on the railways, got married, and gave birth to two children. Though he was living through poverty and war, Paterno said he remained passionate about learning and furthering his education.
Paterno graduated from high school at the age of 31 and decided to enroll back in the university in 2017. He said while enrolled at the University of Palermo, he relied on a manual typewriter that his mother gave him after retiring from the railroad in 1984.Â
Paterno said he also also used printed books instead of Google for research. He mentioned that he faced some challenges during the Covid 19 pandemic as it stopped his in-person classes and forced him to learn through video conferences from home but he remained determined.
“All of that strengthened us, all of my peer group, all of those who are still alive. It didn’t really scare us that much,” he said. Paterno said now that he has a degree, he wants to continue learning and looks forward to expanding his knowledge on his own time.
“My project for the future is to devote myself to writing; I want to revisit all the texts I didn’t have a chance to explore further. This is my goal. Knowledge is like a suitcase that I carry with me, it is a treasure,” he said.
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