During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. 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 working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off 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 night. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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