In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion 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 told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall 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 Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Critically, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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