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1、JanitorFilipaj,theDreamPursuerVerenaDobnik1Foryears,GacFilipajmoppedfloors,cleanedtoiletsandtookouttrashatColumbiaUniversity.Arefugeefromwar-tornYugoslavia,hemadealivingworkingfortheIvyLeagueschoolsince1993.ButSunday,May13,2012,waspaybacktime:The52-year-oldjanitorputonacapandgowntograduatewithabac
2、helor’sdegreeinclassics.2AsaColumbiaemployee,hedidn’thavetopayfortheclasseshetook.HisfavoritesubjectwastheRomanphilosopherandstatesmanSeneca,thejanitorsaidtotheAssociatedPressreporterduringabreakfromhisworkatthestudentunionbuildinghecleans.“(1)IloveSeneca’slettersbecausethey’rewritteninthespiritin
3、whichIwaseducatedinmyfamily—nottolookforfameandfortune,buttohaveasimple,honest,honorablelife,”hesaid.3ForFilipaj,thedegreecomesafteryearsofstudyinglateintothenightinhisBronxapartment,wherehe’dopenhisbooksaftera2:30–11p.m.shiftasa“heavycleaner”—hisjobtitle.Beforeexamtimeortofinishapaper,he’dpullall
4、-nighters,thengotoclassinthemorningandthentowork.AshismothertongueisAlbanian,ittookhimalmostsevenyearstolearntomastertheEnglishlanguagebeforehewasadmittedtotheSchoolofGeneralStudies.(2)Hisgraduationwithhonorsresultedfromhisstrongwilltoovercomeallthedifficultiesheranintointhefollowingdozenyearsofst
5、udies,includingreadingsinancientLatinandGreek.4OnSundaymorningonColumbia’sManhattancampus,Filipajflashedahugesmileandathumbs-upashewalkedoffthepodiumafterahandshakefromColumbiaPresidentLeeBollinger,whopresidedoveraceremonyinwhichGeneralStudiesstudentsreceivedtheirgraduationcertificates.5“Thisisama
6、nwithgreatpride,whetherhe’sdoingcustodialworkoracademics,”saidPeterAwn,deanofColumbia’sSchoolofGeneralStudies.“(3)Heisveryhumbleandgrateful,buthe’soneindividualwhomakeshisownfuture.”46It’sbeenalongroadforFilipajwhofledtotheUnitedStatesin1992,leavingbehindhisparentsandsiblingsonafamilyfarminMontene
7、gro,thenaYugoslavrepublic.Filipajhasalwaysbeenadedicatedstudent.WhenhewaslivinginMontenegroandworkingonhisfamilyfarm,heattendedtheLawCollegeinBelgradeasapart-timestudent,buthewasunabletofinishhisdegreeduetothecru