In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” 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 no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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