In the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft 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 finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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