During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
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 confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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