In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq 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 recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi 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 taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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