In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him 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 man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
From cheering you up 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 an adult, anonymously if you choose. The stories you tell are protected, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
