In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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