During the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route 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 headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit 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 position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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