In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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