During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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