During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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