In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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