In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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