During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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