In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
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