During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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