During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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