In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
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 am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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