In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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