It was the year 2010 when, at the age of 44, I began a degree in Management through an evening programme at the University of the Algarve. At the time, I was balancing a demanding professional career in the car rental sector, holding a managerial position at Faro Airport with extensive responsibilities, alongside a busy family life and a return to academic study.

It was within this demanding context that I had the privilege of meeting Prof. Idília Gonçalo Ramos.

In a daily routine marked by fatigue, professional pressure and the constant effort to overcome challenges, Prof. Idília’s classes stood out clearly. Her mere presence — discreet, serene and deeply human — was enough to fill the room with silence, attention and respect. With a genuine smile and a rare ability to communicate, she created an environment where learning felt natural and sharing felt safe.

Her classes went far beyond the transmission of academic knowledge. The professional experience she brought with her, namely from organisations such as the Amorim Group or Salsa, was shared in an engaging way, bringing theory closer to reality and enriching everyone who listened to her.

I remember with particular emotion a group exercise in which she invited us to close our eyes and allow ourselves to be guided by her words. The calm of her voice and the atmosphere of trust created in that moment transported me to deep childhood memories, in an exercise of introspection that I will never forget. It was a clear demonstration of her unique ability to touch people beyond the academic sphere.

Prof. Idília knew each student by name and possessed a rare sensitivity to understand what each person was going through, even when nothing was spoken aloud.

During one of the most difficult periods of my life, with my mother in intensive care and my brother in a coma, I felt I no longer had the strength to continue my academic journey. When she learned of my intention to abandon the course, Prof. Idília listened to me attentively and, with her characteristic serenity, reminded me that giving up would not change my family’s reality, but that completing the degree would be a source of pride — a pride that transcends time and circumstance.

Those words left a deep mark on me. I found in them the strength I needed to carry on. I completed the course without leaving a single subject behind and had the joy of my mother still being present at the blessing of the academic sashes.

For me, and for many others, Prof. Idília Gonçalo Ramos was far more than a lecturer. She was guidance, inspiration and an example. A true human and professional reference, whose influence went far beyond the walls of the classroom and was reflected even in my subsequent professional path. This tribute is a gesture of deep recognition and gratitude. Because there are teachers who teach content — and there are others who transform lives. Prof. Idília undoubtedly belongs to the latter group.

As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote:

“Those who pass through our lives do not go alone, nor do they leave us alone: they leave a part of themselves and take a part of us.”