During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at Columbia University. He inquired what I my profession was, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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