In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted 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 ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The engineering student approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's making your day to changing your life, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
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