In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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