In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met 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 eternally thankful.
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