In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “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 was granted 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 identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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