In the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The engineering student came up 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 told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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