In the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student came up 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 taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the courage or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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