In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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