During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, 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 wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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