In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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