During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I got to know my wonderful partner, 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 forever grateful.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you wish. What you share are confidential, and are solely for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
