During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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