During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my interviewer 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. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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