In 2007, Michael Vaudreuil had lost his business, his savings, and his home. He took at temporary job as a custodian at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Massachusetts, to make ends meet.
Eight years later — at age 54 — he graduated from the school with a bachelor's in mechanical engineering. And now, he snagged a job at a prominent aerospace manufacturing company, WPI's the Daily Herd reports.
Vaudreuil's story went viral during the height of graduation season last month. It all began when he decided to enroll in a few classes at WPI in addition to his full-time custodial work (as a WPI employee he was eligible to take free classes at the school). At first, he told the Daily Herd, he had no intentions of getting a degree. But his confidence grew, and he enrolled in more classes, all while working the late-shift as a janitor.
On May 14, he walked across the stage to receive his diploma. His mortarboard was decorated with the phrase "Old dog has new tricks,"CNN reports.
Now,Vaudreuil has accepted a job as an engineer for Pratt & Whitney, an aerospace manufacturing company in Connecticut, according to the Daily Herd. He starts his new gig on July 11.
"I'm going to quote one of my favorite movies — they made me an offer I couldn't refuse," he told the paper. "Getting that job is always what it's been about. That's the moment I fought for, for so hard, all of those years."
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