During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a large 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat 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 newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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