In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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