In the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
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 ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, 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.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a role in Europe where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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