In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did, and I explained 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 electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student came up 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 taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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