In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed 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 wonderful partner, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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