In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named 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 people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete 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 changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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