An Compassion of Unknown Individuals: The Way a Gentleman I Barely Knew Supported Me Land the Job That Altered My Path

During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.

We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.

Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.

He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.

The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.

As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.

What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.

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