During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student came up to me and informed me 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 showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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