In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly 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 newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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