Italy's oldest student caps off studies at 96

Reuters Videos
Updated

Meet Italy’s oldest student

96-year-old Giuseppe Paterno

is a WWII veteran, a grandfather, former railway worker

and now a graduate from the University of Palermo

Despite a lifelong love of reading and studying

he wasn't able to go to university in his youth

having grown up poor in Sicily

But when he reached his nineties

he decided it was time to get his degree

(SOUNDBITE) (Italian) 96-YEAR-OLD STUDENT, GIUSEPPE PATERNO, SAYING:

"I said 'that's it now or never,' and therefore in 2017 I decided to enrol. 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'. I wasn't sure when I took this decision because I didn't know the environment, I didn't know how teachers would behave in front of such an old person."

He worked hard on his trusty typewriter

with no late-night drinking to distract him

and graduated with top honors

(SOUNDBITE) (Italian) 96-YEAR-OLD STUDENT, GIUSEPPE PATERNO, SAYING:

"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 further explore. This is my goal."