In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him 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 night. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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