During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student came up 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 made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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