In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I consider applying for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland 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 benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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