In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off 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 everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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