During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition 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 full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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