In the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering 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 attended the interview – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual 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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