In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. 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 gig at Columbia resulted in a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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