In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to 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 taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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