During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply 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 next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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Maya Chen is a tech journalist and lifestyle blogger with over a decade of experience covering digital trends and cultural shifts.
