In the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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