In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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