In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed 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 explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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