In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have 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 always appreciative.
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