Mother and daughter in everyday life, classmates and partners in crime in their final year of studies, which ended a few days ago. They share the same passions: animal husbandry and agronomy, animals and nature. "I copy from her and she from me?" the girl chuckles. "Of course: 50/50."

A family

Sitting side by side in individual desks, the only two women among so many men, Maria Assunta Atzeri and Alessandra Corona crossed the finish line together on the same day, just hours apart, at the Maracalagonis Agricultural Institute. The mother, 55, was the first of four students to appear before the commission; her daughter, 20 (a parent is always a parent, regardless of age), was the youngest of four.

Both achieved an excellent, almost excellent, result: 98/100. A life and a parallel academic path. Then, after shaking hands with their teachers, the emotion began: kisses, hugs, tears. And the ritual photo.

The school

It happened at Duca degli Abruzzi on a Thursday in June, just the day before yesterday, at the branch of the Elmas school, which hosts evening classes for students between the ages of 20 and 23 who are capable of balancing study and work. "This is proof that education can change people's lives," commented Professor Ettore Crobu, head of career counseling at the Mara campus. "Behind these results are stories of sacrifice, hard work, family, and great determination."

For Mario Asquer, professor in charge of the same branch where eight other students graduated, "seeing the students reach the milestone is a source of great pride." And satisfaction, as emphasized by Professor Rita Scalas, chair of the examination committee.

The mother

Satisfaction, like that of Maria Assunta Atzeri, who does something completely different in life: a nurse. Then came the epiphany, for which her daughter is partly responsible. "Alessandra was a minor in third grade, and I accompanied her on out-of-town trips organized by the school. Livestock farms, green spaces in Cagliari, and so on." While chatting and observing, something happened. "I felt like learning, while my daughter insisted: 'Come on, you come too.' I got carried away, and a year ago I signed up."

With one obstacle. Atzeri had no expertise in the subject. What could she do? "I have a high school diploma, so I could only take the core subjects like livestock farming, agronomy, agricultural economics, economics, and marketing. And I did my third and fourth year in a single year. Complicated? Very much so. And I struggled even in fifth year." But the result was achieved. "A good journey, Alessandra and I studied together. Disagreements? Never. Bad grades? Never. We joked about the fact that sometimes one of us would get an 8 and the other an 8.5. And we asked the teachers if they wanted us to argue."

The girl

Her daughter confirms, explaining that her classmates were "very calm; it's not uncommon to find adults in a class like this," and that perhaps it was "strange" that one of them's mother was there. But the context is just a backdrop, because "I have a great relationship with my mom, which has even improved. I was curious to see her reaction, and I'm really happy; I like that she might have understood what it feels like to be at school today. Parents sometimes seem to downplay certain situations, not understanding how we feel." Days spent studying, exchanging impressions, evaluations. And then reaching the finish line, together.

"The final exam has changed, yes," Atzeri emphasizes, "but not the excitement, the fear of not remembering anything. I graduated as a nurse at 22 and as a social services technician at 32. So it was my third exam. The tension, however, is still the same. During the oral exam, which lasted an hour, I was incredibly scared, I couldn't remember anything. But the teachers put me at ease." While behind her, her daughter listened, waiting her turn.

The passion

It went very well for both of us. "I have a great passion for economics," Alessandra emphasizes, "the professors were great. During the exam, one of them suddenly asked me, 'Do you think you did something wrong?' I didn't understand; I was wondering what I'd done. Then he said I'd done really well, that there hadn't been any mistakes. It was a huge satisfaction." Yesterday she started working for the tourist season, then she'll focus on university. "I'd also like to get the government incentives for young farmers."

And what's left for the mother? "Meanwhile, I was so moved for my daughter, so nervous. For my part, I knew nothing about greenery. I even dried plastic flowers. Now everything has changed. I go to the market and look at the quality seals, the labels. I buy locally, I shop much more consciously. I've changed my way of thinking. Agricultural economics is a wonderful subject that I may never explore, but it's fascinating. Like mathematics."

Andrea Manunza

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