During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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