In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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