During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him 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 university – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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