In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis 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 also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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