In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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