In the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there en route to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me 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 mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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