During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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