In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I shared 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 the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq 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 attended the interview – but immediately told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – 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 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
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