A PC security guard hadn't been home to Nigeria in 11 years. Then, students started raising money.

Jack Perry, Providence Journal
·3 min read

PROVIDENCE - A security guard at Providence College will get to see his family in Nigeria for the first time in 11 years thanks to a group of students from the dormitory he protects overnight.

The students started a GoFundMe and raised $6,287, more than twice their goal, to send James Mogaji to Nigeria in June.

A video posted to social media shows Mogaji overcome with emotion and dropping to his knees as the students surprise him with the gift.

"We love you. You're part of the family," a student says, and then the others join in, saying, "We love you, James."

Freshman Brandon Reichert of Carver, Massachusetts, started the fundraiser for Mogaji, whom he calls "without a doubt the best security guard" at Providence College. Mogaji works four overnight shifts per week guarding Raymond Hall.

He greets everybody with a smile

"For those of you that don't know James, he truly is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He greets everybody with a smile and always welcomes conversations no matter what time of the night you run into him," Reichert wrote in his fundraising appeal.

"He has expressed how much he enjoys his job here at PC, and we would love to be able to allow him to visit his family," Reichert wrote.

Providence College students, including Daniel Singh, front left, and Brandon Reichert, front right, who helped raise funds to send security guard James Mogaji to see family in Liberia stand in front of Raymond Hall, where they live and Mogaji works.
Providence College students, including Daniel Singh, front left, and Brandon Reichert, front right, who helped raise funds to send security guard James Mogaji to see family in Liberia stand in front of Raymond Hall, where they live and Mogaji works.

The fundraising effort was launched March 1, and as of Friday morning, it had received 216 donations for a total of $6,278.

Reichert provided an update Wednesday, thanking donors and saying, "Tonight we were able to gift James with enough money for him to travel to Nigeria to visit his family in June!" Reichert said all further donations would be given to Mogaji at the end of the school year in May to fund another trip.

A video of the students presenting the gift to Mogaji was posted to TikTok and Facebook by Leah Quinn of Dighton, Massachusetts. Reichert's mother, Jessica Reichert, is Quinn's best friend, and Quinn calls herself Brandon Reichert's "crazy aunt."

"Please stop and take time to watch and share this amazing display of unrelenting kindness and humanity at its best," Quinn wrote in her TikTok post.

She's proud of her friend and her son

Quinn also acknowledged she wanted to brag about what a great job her friend has done raising Brandon, while a single mother.

"I'm bragging on behalf of her," Quinn said in a telephone interview. "I couldn't be prouder of him. I'm just so proud of her, too."

The video starts with the sounds of footsteps and shows many sets of legs walking down a stairway, then the camera shows Mogaji sitting at his post as the students gather around him.

With a quizzical expression, Mogaji listens as student Daniel Singh, a resident assistant from the Bronx, explains what the students have been up to. When Singh says, "Our gift to you is a trip to Nigeria," Mogaji covers his face and slides from his chair to the floor.

After a few moments, Mogaji gathers himself and, still on his knees, says, "I don't know how much I can thank you guys. I pray from the bottom of my heart that God will continue to protect you guys, to make sure you achieve your goals."

"This is unbelievable. This is unexpected," he says.

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: 'This is unbelievable': TikTok shows PC students surprising guard with trip to Nigeria