During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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