During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately 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 metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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