Great Story

[Christmas Tree 4729]

University Cleaner Gets An Ivy League Degree

 

 

A university cleaner has graduated with a degree in classics after combining his work duties with a study programme for 14 years.

 

Gac Filipaj, 52, was feted by fellow students and dons at Columbia University as he received the award 20 years after he fled war-torn Yugoslavia.

 

When he arrived in New York in 1992 he could not speak English and spent the next five years learning the language.

 

His role as a cleaner at the prestigious Ivy League university meant he qualified for free study hours and was able to work on getting a degree.

 

"This is the proudest moment of my life," he told colleagues as he graduated.

 

 

"The way I was educated in my family was to not seek fortune or fame, but to live a simple, honest and honourable life.

 

"I asked people 'which are the best schools in New York?' So I went to Columbia to see if I could get a job."

 

University bosses paid tribute to his hard graft and spirit, hailing his achievement as "one of the great stories here".

 

"He didn’t just study alongside Columbia University students, he competed with them," said Professor Peter J Awn.

 

"He is immensely humble and grateful, but he's one individual who makes his own future.

"This is a man with great pride, whether he is doing custodial work or academic work."

 

Mr Filipaj's graduation comes after years of completing 10-hour shifts as late as 11pm and only then opening the books to begin his academic work.

 

He still sends part of his $22-per-hour pay back to his brother and family in Montenegro.

"The richness is in me, in my heart and in my head, not in my pocket," he told reporters.

He now intends to step up his academic work with a view to getting a Masters degree.

 

 

http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16227509

[ajax_andy 0]

Love a good success story like this... fair play to the guy. Just goes to show that whilst most people sit around moaning about their lives that some of the most unlikely people achieve success through hard work and determination.

 

“The only real failure in life is the failure to try.” – George Bernard Shaw

[Howay 12496]

Aye good story that like, good on the bloke.

[Park Life 71]

Prefer the one where he mows down a whole load of students after observing their priveledge and fatous lifestyles at close quarters.

[Gemmill 44995]

Hope he likes cleaning cos a degree in Classics will pretty much ensure that that's what he has to continue doing.

[Kid Dynamite 7034]

$22 a fucking hour to clean the floors That's more than I get!

[NJS 4389]

$22 a fucking hour to clean the floors That's more than I get!

 

I wondered about that - maybe 22 a shift?

[ChezGiven 0]

Its a shift wage so holidays probably arent paid, no healthcare or a very low coverage with co-pays, no 401k etc. Sounds about right to me.

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt 1]

He only opened his books after a 10 hour shift eh? He'll have been reading the Golgamesh and all that shite while he was wheeling his cart around.

[luckyluke 2]

Not bad for a mental giant who sings cringeworthy war songs and un-hurls [sic] banners in support of war criminals from a little, insignificant, third world country who considers rapists and pillagers as national heroes. © Ken