In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away informed my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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