During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my host 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 declared: “We can make that happen. 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 complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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