During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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