In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Sitting next to 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 degree in science and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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