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Marivan Ferraro’s journey includes returning to university, intergenerational coexistence, and a final project made with the participation of her 98-year-old mother, in a story that combines education, emotional memory, and course completion at the University of Fortaleza.
Marivan Ferraro, 77 years old, completed her degree in Design at the University of Fortaleza (Unifor), in Ceará, and participated in the graduation ceremony for the 2026.1 graduates on the institution’s campus in Fortaleza.
With the new graduation, the retiree completed her second university degree after a journey marked by returning to studies, interacting with younger colleagues, and the collaboration of her mother, Maria Augusta, 98 years old, in the final course project.
The story gained attention because completing the degree did not just represent the end of an academic stage; in the project presented at the end of the course, Marivan produced a children’s book in embroidered fabric, with direct participation from her mother.
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Second degree began after returning to studies
In 2023, Marivan started attending the spaces of Unifor as a student of the Design course, resuming a university routine that involved classes, practical activities, group work, and constant interaction with colleagues from different generations.
When deciding to take the entrance exam, she humorously informed one of her sons of her choice, asking him to pay the registration fee because she didn’t have time to go to the bank at that moment.
More than seeking another diploma, the retiree integrated into the academic dynamics of the course, participated in the proposed activities, and maintained contact with an area related to creation, visual research, and project development.
In this return to the classroom, the routine required adaptation to new content, nights dedicated to studies, and the willingness to deal with stages common to other students, such as evaluations, academic guidance, and preparation of the final project.
Final project included participation of 98-year-old mother
In the Final Course Project, Marivan presented a children’s book made in embroidered fabric, bringing together illustrations, manual elements, and visual choices constructed during the creative process developed in the Design degree.
Throughout the production, Maria Augusta, the student’s mother, participated in stages of the project and collaborated with drawings, research, fabric cutting, assembly, and embroidery, before passing the continuation of the piece to her daughter.
“She helped me with the drawings, we did research, we made our illustration, we cut the fabric, we assembled it. And she did a part and she said ‘now you continue the rest’…”, Marivan recounted.
The statement highlights the family dimension of the project, which went beyond the academic requirement without losing the technical nature of the production, transforming the thesis into a shared experience between two generations of the same family.
Defense brought family and emotion together at Unifor
During the thesis defense, held in June 2026 at the University of Fortaleza, Maria Augusta watched her daughter’s presentation from the audience, alongside family members, professors, and guests who were present at the academic moment.
The presence of the mother drew attention because the final work was not born from an isolated execution; among research, drawings, and assembly, Marivan shared part of the creative process with Maria Augusta, preserving marks of companionship and emotional memory.
Although the story evoked emotion, the achievement also maintains an objective academic dimension, as Marivan completed the course stages, integrated into the university routine, and reached graduation as a 2026.1 graduate.
In the presented piece, the children’s book embroidered on fabric combined visual language, manual finishing, and a proposal aimed at the children’s audience, within the creative possibilities worked on throughout the Design course.
Education as a choice in different phases of life
Upon completing her second degree at 77 years old, Marivan reinforced a continuous relationship with learning, marked by the willingness to return to university, face unknown content, and participate in academic activities alongside younger students.
This journey also gained strength through the participation of Maria Augusta, who, at 98 years old, was not just a spectator of her daughter’s achievement, but directly collaborated in the development of the children’s book presented as the final work.
Between the entrance exam, classes, thesis, and graduation, Marivan’s story shows how education can cross different phases of life and involve different generations within the same family.
In a country where returning to studies in maturity is still often seen as an exception, her graduation raises an inevitable question: what dream can still come to life when someone decides to continue learning?
