In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Since my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I met 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 eternally thankful.
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