In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
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 recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland 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 set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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