In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share 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 forever grateful.
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