During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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