During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got 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 am unaware of his identity, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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