During the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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