In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a role in Europe where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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