During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Since my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. 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 got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a role in Europe where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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