In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man 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 scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. 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 finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted 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 led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you wish. The stories you tell are secure, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
