65-Year-Old Woman Denied Education for 40 Years Turns Her Life Around, Returns to Classroom, and Enters Federal University Through Sisu, Inspiring Everyone

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 24/02/2026 at 05:47

Updated on 24/02/2026 at 05:49

Imagem: Divulgação

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At 65 Years Old, Seamstress Approved by Sisu After 43 Years Away from School Will Pursue a Bachelor’s Degree at UFRB After Completing EJA in Bahia

At 65 years old, seamstress Dona Josélia dos Santos Silva was approved by Sisu after completing EJA in 2022, ending a 43-year gap during which the elderly woman was away from school and securing a spot at the Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia with her Enem score.

Approval in Sisu Marks Elderly Woman’s Return to Studies After Four Decades

A resident of the Fazenda Grande 4 neighborhood in Salvador, Dona Josélia stopped studying in the 7th grade of Elementary School and spent four decades away from the classroom. Prevented from continuing her studies by her husband, she kept the dream tucked away for years.

In 2022, encouraged by her daughter and grandchildren, the elderly woman decided to enroll in the Education for Young Adults program.

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

Course at UFRB Initiates New Academic Routine

With her classification in Sisu, Dona Josélia will pursue an Interdisciplinary Bachelor’s Degree in Culture, Languages, and Applied Technologies at the Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia.

This new stage marks the beginning of an academic routine after 43 years away from the school environment.

Her daughter, Jovelina Santos Silva Uzêda, mentioned that her mother has always shown a desire to learn. When she learned that she could compete for a spot through the system, she asked for help to complete the registration and follow the process until the final result.

Now, aware of the challenges of the degree, she asserts that she will maintain the same determination that led her to approval. For her, the secret is to never stop studying, reading, and staying updated, even in the face of difficulties.

Example Impacts Family and Reinforces Importance of Sisu

The achievement also influenced her granddaughter Emília Santos da Conceição Silva, who is in the 8th grade of Elementary School.

According to the student, seeing her grandmother entering college increased her desire to continue studying even more.

Admission through Sisu symbolizes, for the family, the realization of a long-standing project. Dona Josélia’s experience has become a reference at home.

EJA in Bahia Registers Over 77,000 Enrolled

In Bahia, EJA is aimed at people who did not complete their education at the appropriate age. The program serves young individuals starting at 15 years for Elementary School and adults starting at 18 years for High School.

According to the State Department of Education, over 77,000 students are enrolled in EJA in the state.

To enroll, it is necessary to visit a school unit with personal documents, proof of residence, and school records.

Dona Josélia’s journey highlights how access to EJA and Sisu can enable a return to studies even after decades of interruption, turning an old dream into academic reality.

With information from Só Notícia Boa.

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Elaine Frango

#239844

26/02/2026 09:42

Que a cada dia mais mulheres compreendam que nenhum homem, seja pai, marido ou outra coisa, tem o direito de impedir que elas estudem, trabalhem, se desenvolvam e prosperem em todos os sentidos.
Que essa e todas as outras mulheres entendam que não há limites para o que podem ser e aprender.

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Robson

#239823

26/02/2026 08:50

Concluir “A” EJA ( Educação de jovens e adultos

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Julia

#239645

25/02/2026 16:52

Você merece aplausos. Persista que os sonhos só nós podemos realizar, porque são nossos. Me aposentei e ingressei na Universidade para fazer o que sempre sonhei, mas na época não pude realizar. Vamos mostrar a todos que não precisamos enterrar os nossos sonhos. Eles estão aí para serem reais. Parabéns.

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65-Year-Old Woman Denied Education for 40 Years Turns Her Life Around, Returns to Classroom, and Enters Federal University Through Sisu, Inspiring Everyone

At 65 Years Old, Seamstress Approved by Sisu After 43 Years Away from School Will Pursue a Bachelor’s Degree at UFRB After Completing EJA in Bahia

Approval in Sisu Marks Elderly Woman’s Return to Studies After Four Decades

Course at UFRB Initiates New Academic Routine

Example Impacts Family and Reinforces Importance of Sisu

EJA in Bahia Registers Over 77,000 Enrolled

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65-Year-Old Woman Denied Education for 40 Years Turns Her Life Around, Returns to Classroom, and Enters Federal University Through Sisu, Inspiring Everyone

At 65 Years Old, Seamstress Approved by Sisu After 43 Years Away from School Will Pursue a Bachelor’s Degree at UFRB After Completing EJA in Bahia

Approval in Sisu Marks Elderly Woman’s Return to Studies After Four Decades

Course at UFRB Initiates New Academic Routine

Example Impacts Family and Reinforces Importance of Sisu

EJA in Bahia Registers Over 77,000 Enrolled

Forget petroleum-based asphalt: a Scottish company transforms 684,000 plastic bottles into one kilometer of road that is 60% more resistant and up to 10 times more durable, and the technology has already started replacing traditional asphalt in more than 30 countries.

With billions in loans, China is rebuilding Nigeria’s railway network from scratch, abandoning the British colonial tracks that have turned to scrap and creating a corridor of over 1,300 km to take the load off the roads of Africa’s largest economy.

Study solves great ancient mystery: remains of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, are identified in Vergina and resolves the enigma of the Macedonian royal tombs that had lasted half a century.

Australia prepares to dredge 96.5 million m³ in Moreton Bay to deepen, widen, and realign channels of the Port of Brisbane, in a project of up to 25 years designed to accommodate larger ships and enhance maritime safety and regional port efficiency.

Larger than the Toyota Hilux and with a towing capacity of 3.5 tons, the new MG U9 2026 features a 2.5 turbodiesel engine, 520 Nm, 4×4 traction with three locks, and an almost full-size build.

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