Arms in the air for some, bouquets of flowers for others, to the tears of a grandfather moved when he sees his granddaughter smiling at the final finish line, after having faced a year that was anything but simple. It was an emotional morning yesterday at the Setificio, where the oral final exams were underway. If the future is still uncertain for some, there are already those who have very clear ideas about what to do when they grow up.
Among these is Mouhamadou Niang, still 18 years old, but already “mature” having attended the four-year chemistry course. Originally from Senegal, he arrived in Italy seven years ago. His method for learning the new language? Studying literature, which he is passionate about. «I went to middle school in Abruzzo, in Pescara – he says – then my dad, for work reasons, came to the North. My intention was to study mechanics and mechatronics at Magistri but there was no place, so I enrolled in the four-year course at the Setificio and fell in love with chemistry. In September I will go to university in France where my sister is already there, I am interested in becoming an energy engineer: first I will do an in-depth degree in chemistry and then I will study energy. I didn’t have any difficulties with Italian because the professors made me fond of literature, I wanted to learn to use slightly more courtly terms. It’s a subject that really touches me, I tend to try to find meaning in what the authors did and compare it with my life.”
In addition to Italian and his native language, Mouhamadou also speaks English and French. At the final exam, his dialectic impressed the teachers: «Paul Anastas, chemist, came out, I spoke about pollution, how important it is to use environmentally friendly solvents, then I connected with D’Annunzio and other subjects. My dad was surprised by the results I achieved, he is very happy. Now I’m already looking for a job to save something before leaving for France. I’m sorry to leave, I’ve established many relationships here, both with teachers and classmates, they accepted me, something that in middle school people tended not to do. I fell in love with this place, but I have to think about my future. I needed to mature ahead of time, my dad came here alone and built everything himself and now he has given us a path too.”
Many young people, like him, are celebrating the end of their high school diploma. “It went really well, I expected something completely different – explains Camilla Lattuca – Next year I’ll go to university, Fashion design in Milan. I prepared for everything and the oral exam was less difficult than expected”. Davide Ostinelli also agrees: “More relaxed than I expected – he confirms – The commission made us feel at ease. As a topic I had a photo of a meadow cut by a combine harvester, so I talked about desertification. Next year I’ll go to study chemistry at Insubria. Before going to the oral exam, I kissed my grandfather’s crucifix”.
Aurora Di Luca’s family was waiting outside school: “I was very tense, the First World War came to mind, which I managed to connect with the other subjects. Now I’ll stop for a moment to understand what to do, but then I’ll resume my studies”. Melania Pavesi is also “mature”: “Packaging came out, I talked about visual communication – she says -. I was quite calm, now I’m partying with my other classmates, summer can really begin for us”.
Same feelings for Martina Leoni who, however, slept only three hours before the oral exam, and for Francesca Nava, who studied hard to prepare and will now go to the Polytechnic. “I came up with Oppenheimer which I connected with everything – is the comment of Elard Dyrmyshi, a student at the Cambridge scientific high school of the Setificio and representative of the provincial student council – As for university, I will go to law school”.
