In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” 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 seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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