I am a former student of the Istituto Maria Immacolata, which I attended from kindergarten (1954) to fifth grade (1962). At that time the institute didn’t offer other courses of study.
My parents made their choice for various reasons, and my brother Claudio, who was two years older than me, also attended the school. The main and decisive reason was the adherence to the educational values of the Institute, as well as the example and experience of my maternal aunt, Sister Claudia Villa, who belonged to the same Congregation and was an elementary school teacher in Borgosesia and later in Vercelli.
I must admit that during all the years I spent at the Institute I always had moments of serenity and positive experiences. The great merit obviously goes to the kindness, competence, goodness and understanding of the various teachers, in particular Sister Gesualda Greppi, who was for 5 years the primary school teacher of a very lively class of 34 pupils.
It was certainly not easy for our beloved Sister Gesualda to keep together and make a class of diverse and original personalities and sensitivities grow. But her sweetness and her ability to bring out the best in each of us allowed us to grow with our own qualities and to reach important human and professional goals.
It often happens that when we meet our former primary school classmates and remember the best times we had at school, we recall our nun-teacher (whom we can now greet in our cemetery) with a certain nostalgia.
We owe her so much of who we are and what we have become.
After some time, and looking back at my subsequent academic and personal development, I think I can say that I have gained a lot thanks to my years at school and, above all, I have benefited from the experiences and emotions I had during that period.
The kindness of character, the ability to listen to people with love and the passion for in-depth and free study are elements that have built my character over time. The confidence to start over again and with courage are also elements of that experience.
Grateful for the years of education at the Institute, today I try to recommend the same important opportunity to others.
Osvaldo Vallese, former student
OSVALDO VALLESE – 74 YEARS OLD – GORGONZOLA (MILAN) – RETIRED – former Bank Manager and Mayor of the City of Gorgonzola from 1990 to 1995
