During the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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