In the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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