In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that night. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
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