During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did, 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 electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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