During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a role in Europe where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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