In the early 1990s when Yugoslavia was being torn apart by civil war, Gac Filipaj decided to get out. He fled to New York City and became a custodian at Columbia University, knowing it was the best higher-education institution around. After learning some English, Filipaj began taking morning classes before his 8-hour janitorial shifts afternoon. And this real-life “Good Will Hunting” story has a happy ending: after 19 years as a student and a janitor, Filipaj has graduated at the top of his class with a major in Classics.
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