In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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