During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland 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 helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
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