At 81 years old, Vincenzo Marras has no intention of stopping. After graduating from middle school last year, he returned to the classrooms of CPIA 1 Karalis in Assemini—the Provincial Center for Adult Education—to begin his first two years of high school. With enthusiasm and determination, he is now the oldest student there.

For him, school was "unu giru francu," a free ride, as he called it as a boy playing cards at the old market in Cagliari.

"I had lost everything, but the kids told me that even those who have nothing left have the right to another round," he said emotionally during his middle school oral exam. "So I recovered. School, at my age, was just that: a second round that gave me so much back."

Born after World War II, Vincenzo grew up in a time when school was a luxury for the few. After elementary school, life took him to work in the fields, hauling vegetables on an ox-drawn cart. But the dream of returning to school never left him.

Last year, supported and celebrated by his grandchildren Lucia and Vincenzo junior, he reached an important milestone: his middle school diploma.

"Our grandfather was always very curious," the boys explain. "As a self-taught person, he cultivated a thousand passions. He would tell us about Greek mythology, the history of Sardinia, and even try to teach us the guitar. For him, going back to school was never about getting a degree, but about learning and sharing what he knew."

And after a short summer break, Vincenzo wasted no time: he was among the first to sign up to continue his journey .

With his inquisitive spirit and eagerness to get involved, he's become a role model not only for his family, but also for his classmates and teachers. "I can't wait for classes to start," he confessed with the enthusiasm of a kid on his first day of school.

(Unioneonline/Fr.Me.)

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