During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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