During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
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