In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a large 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
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 would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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