During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – 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 opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role 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 am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
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