In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
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 recommended that I consider applying for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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