During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you choose. Your responses are protected, and are intended for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
