Fred Vautour: Janitor Gets Five Kids A Free College Education
Fred Vautour is making news this week because for the last 15 years, the 62-year-old janitor has been cleaning sinks, scrubbing toilets, and polishing mirrors during the graveyard shift at Robsham Theater — and he did all of this just so he can put his five children through private college. And according to People, it only cost him $3,000 per child per year.
Charming story—a janitor sends five kids to BC. But all families should be able to pay for college w/o massive debt. https://t.co/UOcKpzt5G8
— Eileen Donoghue (@EileenDonoghue) April 11, 2016
Vautour has been working most of his life, starting when he was just 14 years old. Although he did not attend college himself, he felt strongly about his kids earning college degrees — which was the primary reason why he continued his janitorial work at Boston College, a private Catholic university in suburban Chestnut Hills, Massachusetts. Vautour makes about 60,000 a year, but speaking with the Boston Globe, he said his salary alone would never empower him to send his children to school.
According to the report, Boston College cut $51,000 off of its $66,000 annual price for his kids. The final costs of tuition after scholarships was roughly $3,000 for each child to attend school.
“It gave me a reason to be here,” Vautour was quoted as saying. “I used to joke with the vice president that I’d actually work for nothing because my kids are here because of that perk. I could care less if they even gave me a raise because my kids came here.”
The hard-working father also says that his kids seeing him work so hard motivated them to do their best in school.
“When I started working at BC my oldest daughter was 13 or 14,” Vautour said. “She decided she wanted to go to school there and that pushed her. She really studied as hard as she could.”
Fred Vautour worked as a night shift janitor for 15 years to put his 5 kids through college https://t.co/S6afsl8clD pic.twitter.com/VmQdsmiOZa
— People (@people) April 12, 2016
This month, his youngest child obtained a nursing degree from BC, which means that all five of his children — Amy, John, Michael, Thomas, and Alicia — have now been put through college.
“He really opened the opportunity for us,” his daughter Amy said.
“It was never a question of if we would go to college or not. We will go to college, and that’s what he instilled in us,” added his son Brandon.
“It kind of gives you the tingles,” Vautour said. “We became a big BC alumni family.”
Although many would agree that Vautour’s salary is pretty decent, he said he couldn’t have afforded a college education for all five of his children. Thanks to his job as a BC employee, all were able to attend tuition-free.
https://www.facebook.com/lovewhatreallymatters/photos/a.710462625642805.1073741828.691679627521105/1109308739091523/?type=3&permPage=1
https://www.facebook.com/lovewhatreallymatters/photos/a.710462625642805.1073741828.691679627521105/1109308735758190/?type=3&permPage=1
This story of a father who worked for 15 years as a janitor so his kids could go to college has gone viral on social media networks and at the time of this writing, the post has received thousands of shares and likes.
“Your dad worked hard to achieve this goal. All his kids attending this college. Kudos to him…He must be a wonderful, dad, and husband,” one user wrote.
Dee Stinnette said, “Wow. If children only could understand and appreciate how hard their parents have worked and sacrificed for them…..and think to say thanks…..”
“Blessed kids. Treat him like a king when he retires please, ” Debi Elliott Raffi expressed.
“It feels great but it’s kind bittersweet,” Vautour concluded. “My oldest daughter started here in 1998 and now it’s 2016 and my last one is graduating. In that much time I’ve always had a kid at BC.”
[Image via Shutterstock]
