In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, 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 an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen 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 went to the meeting – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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