In the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes 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 remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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