During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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