During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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