During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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