During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
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