Luiz Junio Cardoso Teles swept the streets of Goiânia while dreaming of another life.
He was 36 when he finally took the stage to receive his Nursing diploma, and he decided to do so wearing his work uniform—the same one he had worn for 16 years at the Goiânia Urbanization Company. For six years, he combined cleaning shifts, internships, Saturday classes, and delivery work through apps to pay for Estácio University. There were nights when he wanted to give it all up, but his colleagues would not let him. “They believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself”, he said.
His mother, Heracília, a professional seamstress, had always dreamed of seeing her three children graduate. Luiz fulfilled that wish, and now he is preparing to take the next step: staying at Comurg, but this time caring for the health of his colleagues.