During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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