In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting 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 prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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