During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off informed 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 anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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