In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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