During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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