During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student walked over 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 made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my prospective employer 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 didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have 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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