In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – 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. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, 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 met my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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