In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity 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 altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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