During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student walked over to 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 gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane 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 finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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