During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Since my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq 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 went to the meeting – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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