During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student approached me and informed me 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 attended the interview – but right away told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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