In the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage 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 so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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