During the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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