If you find yourself wondering about the next generation, rest assured that the kids are all right. That’s certainly true at Providence College, a Catholic school in the capital of Rhode Island — and they’ve made sure their security guard is all right, too. In an act of extraordinary generosity, the residents of Raymond Hall on the PC campus collectively raised enough to send their friend James Mogaji to Nigeria to visit the family he hasn’t seen for more than 10 years.
As the students told local ABC affiliate WLNE, they set up a GoFundMe account on Feb. 29 when they learned that Mogaji, Raymond Hall’s overnight security guard, had not seen his family in 11 years.
“We take care of our own and we firmly believe that James is one of our own,” freshman Brandon Reichert said.
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It didn’t take long for Reichert’s classmates and friends to come together. By last Wednesday, the GoFundMe had attracted enough donors to meet their goal, and they gathered at Mogaji’s desk to present him with a gift: Enough money for a round-trip ticket to Nigeria. The tearful presentation was captured on Leah Quinn’s TikTok account (@lkquinnco). Good luck keeping your eyes dry.
In the video, a resident assistant named Danny addresses Mogaji by the affectionate nickname the other students have given him.
“You’re Unc. You’re the GOAT,” he says, and later gives Mogaji an envelope. “You’re part of the family so our gift to you is a trip to Nigeria.”
Overcome with emotion, Mogaji falls to his knees. “I don’t know how much I can thank you guys, man. I don’t know how much I can thank you,” he says.
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Mogaji reportedly plans to take his trip in June. The ensuing media coverage have helped the students achieve their secondary goal, which is to make sure “Unc” doesn’t have to wait another 11 years to see his kin. As of March 13, their GoFundMe has blown past its original goal of $3,500 and has now raised more than $27,000. They plan to give this to Mogaji in May as funding for a future trip to Nigeria.
Students raise money to reunite a security guard with his family originally appeared on Simplemost.com
