In the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply 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.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
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 was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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