During the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq walked over 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 gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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