In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to 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 dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
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 suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq came up 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 taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes 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 name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
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From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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