During the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall 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. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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