In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The Iraqi student approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed 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 position in Switzerland where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are protected, and are intended for the aim of this article.
