During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining 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 engineering student 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 gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed 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. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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