During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, 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 got some food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at Columbia University. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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