During the late 1980s, I was embarking on 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 got to the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
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