In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student 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. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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