In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. 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. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
What's more, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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