In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising 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 forever grateful.
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