In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I consider applying for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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