In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student approached me and told 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 went to the meeting – but immediately told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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