During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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