In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies 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 – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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