In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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