In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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