During the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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