In the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted 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 can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have 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 eternally thankful.
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