In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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