In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I met 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 forever grateful.
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