During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq came up to 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 gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that job in New York led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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