During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close 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 did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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