In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
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 proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Tell us about the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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