The Kindness of Strangers: How a Gentleman I Only Just Encountered Supported Me Obtain the Job That Transformed My Existence

In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.

We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.

Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.

He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away 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 city where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.

I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.

Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share 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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