In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Since my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility 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 dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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