In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately 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 opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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