In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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