During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. 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 with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The engineering student walked over to 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 right away told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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