Catalina Mendoza, a 91-year-old woman from El Salvador, has enrolled in elementary school for the first time in her life and is now studying in first grade at El Congo elementary school. Her daughter, 71-year-old Teresa Tobar, is attending the same school in eighth grade, making the pair a striking example of intergenerational learning.
Teresa said her mother had always said she had never seen the inside of a school. She recalled telling her that there was still time, and said the encouragement motivated Mendoza. “She is enjoying it very much,” Tobar said.
At a formal ceremony at the school, El Salvador’s Education Minister, Karla Trigueros, personally presented Mendoza with school supplies, including notebooks, books, and a new tablet. The tablet is part of a government initiative to provide technology to adults studying in flexible education programs, based on the idea that progress should be available to everyone.
Teachers said Mendoza is a lively student despite her age, understands instructions well, and enjoys class participation. Videos from the classroom show her solving simple math problems, including 4 plus 3, while smiling broadly. Mendoza said, “I feel very happy to be here, I had never entered a classroom before.” The story of mother and daughter has become a symbol of motivation, with Tobar saying, “Do not let the thought that age is a barrier enter your mind.”