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Josue Lajeunesse (Princeton University)
Never late, even by a minute, Josue is often finished with much of his work before anyone even notices he’s there. And like clockwork at 3 o’clock each day, he’s on to his next job driving folks around Princeton, NJ in his taxi cab until the late hours of the evening. Though he never worked this hard in his native Haiti, he must maintain this intense schedule to support the 15 family members in New Jersey and Haiti that depend on him to get by. |
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Corby Baker (Cornish College of the Arts)
Corby works as a custodian at Cornish in order to immerse himself in the creative energy emanating from the workspaces of the college where students labor away on their masterpieces. Surrounding himself in this creative energy keeps Corby inspired and excited about returning to his passion of “bringing things into reality that have never existed before”. |
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Luis Cardenas (Caltech)
Driving to work early one morning, Luis was violently struck by a drunk driver. The crash severed his right arm and left Luis in a coma for two weeks with severe brain trauma. After a slow and painful recovery Luis returned to work as a custodian at CalTech only ten months after his accident and began the difficult process of relearning the daily tasks that were once easy for him. |
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Jim Evener (Cornell University)
Jim was only nineteen years old when he was sent to Vietnam. He was out with his squad when they came under sudden attack and Jim was shot in the back. The next day, he woke up to find himself alone in the middle of the jungle, unable to walk. Needing to get to safety, he dragged himself through the jungle for three days until finally passing out. He regained consciousness in a hospital in Japan where he was told he might never walk again. |
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Melinda Augustus (University of Florida)
While Melinda’s mother was in labor with her fifteenth child, an oversight among the hospital staff sent her into a deep coma that she would never wake from. At age 9, Melinda recalls the day her mother was delivered to their home in the bed that she would remain in for the next 11 years before her passing. |
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Oscar Dantzler (Duke University)
As much an icon as the building he cleans, Oscar is not just the custodian of Duke Chapel but a caretaker of the hearts and souls of the Duke students who pass through it’s majestic archways. A loyal friend and mentor to his “babies”, as he calls them, Oscar acts as a guide of sorts through their years at the school. |
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Michael Seals (U.C. Berkeley)
The greatest moment of Michael’s life was when his estranged son told him “I’m glad you are my father”. Family is the most important thing now in Michael’s life, but he came to this realization almost too late after making mistakes that cost him his marriage and the loss of his family for many years. |
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Gary Napieracz (Cornell University)
Gary has been a part of the Cornell Veterinary School for over twenty years and is on a first name basis with everyone at the school. Like his friend Jim Evener, Gary was sent to Vietnam as a young man. This was an experience which taught him the importance of supporting those around you and allowing yourself to be supported by them. |
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