In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn 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 lacked the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, 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 always appreciative.
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