During the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student walked over 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. Given that he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich 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 set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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