During the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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