In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me 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 electron microscope unit at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The engineering student approached 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 made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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