During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since 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 unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a role in Europe where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you wish. What you share are secure, and are intended for the aim of this article.
