In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq 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 showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. 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 complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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