In the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising 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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