During the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
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 told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, 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, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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