During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired 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 using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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