The Generosity of Unknown Individuals: How a Person I Barely Knew Helped Me Land the Position That Transformed My Existence

In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.

We arrived at the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.

Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.

He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.

The next day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.

I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.

Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.

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