During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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