In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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