During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that evening. 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 showed up for the discussion – but right away told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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