In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn 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 courage or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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