During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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