In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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