During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted 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 am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we want to hear about random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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