In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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