During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off explained to my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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