During the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off explained to my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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