During the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The engineering 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 made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising 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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