During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “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 free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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