During the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The Iraqi student walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, anonymously if you wish. The stories you tell are protected, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
