In the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” 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 no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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