In the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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