In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that night. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
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