During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
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