During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Since my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
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 for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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