During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, 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 – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, 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 four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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