In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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