During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting 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 explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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