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One family, two generations, three degrees

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Giuliano Agostinho de Castro ’20 lives in a house a few miles from the River Campus with two fellow University of Rochester students. One is in the doctoral program at the Warner School of Education, and the other is pursuing a master’s degree in history.

They study together, ride to school together, dine together, and swap family stories. The stories are often the same, because Giuliano’s housemates are also his parents.

Giuliano was paralyzed from the chest down in a car accident in his native Brazil two years ago. His parents, Gilberto and Marcia, moved to Rochester to be his caretakers and decided to further their education at the University. They’re 5,000 miles from home, three students bonded by hope, love, and college.

Marcia took a leave from her job as a professor of engineering at University Estacio after the accident. Gilberto had been the head of a university system in Brazil before resigning his position prior to the accident. He already had a master’s degree in industrial engineering, while Marcia has a PhD in the same field. But they craved more, for different reasons.

“When I heard about the Warner School, I knew it was an opportunity to help me do better what I’ve done the last 10 years in Brazil,” Gilberto says.

Marcia had been devouring literature on spinal cord injuries and needed another outlet. “I’ve always loved history,” she says. “I applied for a master’s in history, and I’m so happy. Ever since we saw this campus, I’ve been a Yellowjacket in my heart.”

Giuliano and Marcia are scheduled to graduate in 2020. Gilberto, a former business executive, hopes to receive his doctorate in education in 2022.

As for Giuliano, his determination to complete what he started at the U of R never wavered. With some help from several faculty members and staff, he managed to continue his studies uninterrupted from the rehab facility he went to in Chicago following the accident. The long distance coursework kept him from getting behind, and took his mind off the grueling therapy regimen, which forced him to relearn even simple tasks like eating and bathing.

At first, he had no control of his torso and couldn’t sit straight up. Now, he can. “This was the one thing doctors said he’d never recover, because it was right below the level of injury,” Marcia says. “But because of physical therapy and his determination, he got it back.”

“Everyone told me I’d never walk again, but I never believed them." Giuliano says. "I will walk again.”

Walking beside him will be his parents.

“They’re super excited about being part of my world here,” he says. “It’s their world too, now. That makes me pretty happy.”

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