Gac Filipaj: From janitor to Ivy League graduate

(CBS News) It's graduation season, and though every grad has traveled a unique personal path to his or her diploma, few have a story to match Gac Filipaj.

CBS News correspondent Tony Guida reports Filipaj, 52, graduated from Columbia University Sunday. His diploma is a validation of a life-altering choice: books over blood.

Filipaj's country of birth - Yugoslavia - was a killing field in 1992 with civil war, ethnic cleansing. Filipaj could either fight for a cause he did not believe in or flee.

He escaped to New York. He chose it not just as refuge but as renaissance.

"I am not blind. I look in the mirror and see myself. If god has not given me some nice appearance he has given me a head, has given me a heart and I can make myself better," Filipaj said.

Filipaj started at the bottom, cleaning bathrooms. But these were Ivy League bathrooms. He chose a janitor's job at Columbia University because it came with 14 free credit hours a year.

"I do believe that education, a good education, is very important not only for individuals themselves but for society as a whole," Filipaj said.

First Filipaj had to learn English. With his fulltime job it took 7 years. Then he enrolled in Columbia's classics program, studying Greek and Latin by day, scrubbing toilets by night.

"He is a remarkable human being," said Gareth Williams, who supervised Filipaj's thesis on the Roman philosopher Seneca.

The professor saw a man dedicated to knowledge.

"He would ask one question and then he would ask another question and a third question. His intellectual curiosity is very broad," Williams said.

Another 12 years of work-study led to this moment, not just a crowning but also a passage. Filipaj plans to get a Masters, even a PhD. One day he hopes to teach.

"There is a saying that Seneca said: 'While you teach, you learn,'" Filipaj said.

With 19 years of learning behind him, Gac Filipaj, 52, graduated from Columbia University on Sunday, with honors.

[ami555]

Very inpiring story!! America is the land of opportunities for the hard worker. He is Albanian and they are bright people and they value education more than anything else but in Yougoslavia they did not get a chance becouse of serbian oppression.

[ami555]

Very inpiring story!! America is the land of opportunities for the hard worker. He is Albanian and they are bright people and they value education more than anything else but in Yougoslavia they did not get a chance becouse of serbian oppression.

[lonestar9000]

Very good for him, BUT, most jobs do not come with free education, and I wonder how many American citizens were passed over for that janitors' job in order to give it to a foreigner, here legally or not.

[credibility2]

This man is what our country is all about...he came here legally, sought opportunity, regardless of its effort, didn't complain and went on to succeed...success requires commitment, diligence and hard work...many today just don't get it and prefer to whine, moan, complain, and expect their government to do everything for them, including doing their thinking...this is why so many of them are losers and will always be losers...they'd rather rely upon the government than be self-reliant, self-sufficient and personally accountable...

[nohater]

greek and latin, the classics program. all he can do with that is teach. wonder why he chose that field since his intellectual curiosity is very broad.

[cattiej]

And here in our state of Illinois we have thousands of people who won't work nor go to school. I know that some people are not really disabled but collect more money on disability than I do working. I know illegals can get free health care while I pay lots of money for mine and I know many people my age don't have insurance and will probably die because they have not insurance but they have pride and will not seek a Doctor because they have not means to pay his or her expensive bill...but then the Doctors won't see you as a patient if you have no means to pay for your expensive Doctors visit or thousands of dollars for routine blood work. Our country is in terrible condition when we have a wonderful story of an immigrant who's values for an education exceed 75% of what many American citizens do.

[goodwillhunting27]

This country was built on immigrants who sought opportunity like this.

[credibility2]

goodwillhunting27...you and others are missing a very critical word in your comment about this country being built by immigrant seeking opportunity...you and others conveniently forget that THEY WERE LEGAL, not illegal...

[mryoubrian]

Brilliant!
A triumph of the human spirit.