During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed 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 didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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