During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. 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 no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
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