During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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