During the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course 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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