In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane 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 seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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