In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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