During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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