During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, 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 position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
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