In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university 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. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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