During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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