In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – 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, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student came up to me and let me know 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 explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising 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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