In the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Nicest Thing a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
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