During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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