In the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position 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.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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