Providence College Students Doing Good for One of their Favorite Security Guards
By Mazie Goscinak ’24
A group of Providence College students realized that one of their favorite security guards on campus, James Mogaji, was long overdue to visit his family back in Nigeria. They decided to raise money to buy James a plane ticket. Daniel Singh ’26 spoke about his relationship with Mogaji and his role in helping this idea come to life.
Singh is a psychology major and marketing minor on the pre-law track. He is from the Bronx, New York, and on campus he serves on the executive board of the Afro-Caribbean Association and is a DID fellow. The DID (Dialogue, Inclusion, and Democracy) fellows are a team of students who create spaces for civil discourse on campus. As a resident assistant in Raymond Hall, Singh is constantly exposed to the staff members there, getting to build strong connections and relationships with many of them. This was Mogaji’s first year on campus as a security guard and Singh highlighted their shared interests and Mogaji’s infectious personality. “He makes an effort to get to know everyone’s name, he is friendly, authentic, and charismatic,” Singh said. Students from all around campus come talk and get to know Mogaji on a personal level, which led to the GoFundMe project.
Singh recalled being approached by Brandon Reichert ’27, one of his first-year residents, with the idea to raise money for Mogaji to visit his family. Singh and Reichert used word of mouth and social media to help spread the word. So many people were touched by Mogaji’s story that within 24 hours of launching their page, they surpassed their goal. Word spread to parents, family, and students at other schools who contributed to the effort. They collected about $3,000 total. Singh noted the GoFundMe has since surpassed $30,000 in donations, all of which has gone to James.
Singh said his experience at Providence College influenced him to want to give back.
Coming from a large city, Singh wanted a college with a community and family feel. He attended an all-boys Catholic high school and knew he wanted a similar atmosphere and spirit in college. He explained that having so much support and willingness to help from all his professors encouraged him and made it easy for him to want to give back to the Providence College community.
Classes such as Development of Western Civilization, theology, and philosophy gives PCSB students a unique perspective on not only the business environment but the workforce in general that other students do not have, Singh said. The PCSB community focuses on connections both in and outside of the classroom. Singh recalled what Mark DeFanti, Ph.D., associate professor of marketing, taught him in his Principles of Marketing class. Through this course, Singh learned the importance of building connections with fellow students, professors, and anyone on campus, which helped to guide his outlook on the value of relationships.
With the strong connections Providence College has to offer, so many people were able to help and make a large impact on Mogaji’s life. Singh also emphasized his work on consumer behavior and understanding not only what people want, but how to help them.
The PCSB curriculum is not only focused on producing students who can make the most profit for a business, but students who care to make a positive difference on those around them, Singh said. Students are not focused only on transactions, but also focused on relationship building through their education at PCSB. Singh concluded that he will continue to “do more naturally good things,” a trait instilled in so many Providence College students.
