During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and let me know 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 showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall 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 Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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