During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted 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 identity, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance 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 free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you prefer. The stories you tell are protected, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
