In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition 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 remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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