For years, Gac Filipaj mopped floors, cleaned toilets and took out trash at Columbia University.

A refugee from war-torn Yugoslavia, he eked out a living working for the Ivy League school. But Sunday was payback time: The 52-year-old janitor donned a cap and gown to graduate with a bachelor's degree in classics.

As a Columbia employee, he didn't have to pay for the classes he took. His favorite subject was the Roman philosopher and statesman Seneca, the janitor said during a break from his work at Lerner Hall, the student union building he cleans.

For Filipaj, the degree comes after years of studying late into the night in his Bronx apartment, where he'd open his books after a 2:30-11 p.m. shift as a "heavy cleaner" — his job title. Before exam time or to finish a paper, he'd pull all-nighters, then go to class in the morning and then to work.

美国哥伦比亚大学一名52岁的清洁工上周日与其他同学一起参加毕业典礼，正式获得该校古典文学学士学位。据悉，这名清洁工名叫菲利帕奇，1992年从前南斯拉夫来到纽约，去美国之前曾经就读于贝尔格莱德的法学院。因哥伦比亚大学规定全职雇员可以免费听课，菲利帕奇在19年间完成了基础的语言课程和古典文学的所有课程。他每天上午上课，下午2点半到晚上11点完成清洁工作，然后继续熬夜学习。每逢考试或学期论文，他还得熬通宵看书，天亮以后接着去上课。菲利帕奇表示，他下一步的理想是获得罗马和希腊古典文学的硕士和博士学位，希望能够以后能当老师，教书的同时把他喜欢的古典文学作品翻译成自己的母语－阿尔巴尼亚语。