In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a position in Switzerland 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 redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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