During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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