One of this year’s participants in the Erasmus program is Miguel Castillo, an 80-year-old Spaniard from Valencia who will head to Verona for studies next week after snagging a scholarship, reports the European portal EurActiv.
A retired public notary studying history, married and a father of three children and six grandchildren, he suffered a heart attack after retiring and had four bypasses installed.
Since then, he experiences each new day as a gift.
“Shortly after my recovery, I told myself ‘I would like to do something that is not typical for a retiree’. I have always been interested in history, especially contemporary history,” Castillo told the Spanish news agency Efe.
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Castillo has no illusions about his advanced age compared to his peers, but he wants to feel like others. “They treat me excellently, age is not a problem.”
Therefore, he decided to apply for Erasmus after being encouraged by one of his professors.
His family is already making plans to visit him in northern Italy during the program.
“I recommend to people my age not to stay at home but to open up to the world because we can still give a lot to society, and we can also receive a lot from it,” he said.
