In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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