During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
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 explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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