In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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