During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
From making your day to transforming your future, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, anonymously if you wish. Your responses are protected, and are solely for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
