In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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