In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path 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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