In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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