In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The Iraqi student approached me and told 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 attended the interview – but straight off told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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