During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I also received 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 can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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