During the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The Iraqi student approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane 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 complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met 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 always appreciative.
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