In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and told 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 attended the interview – but right away told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
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