During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
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