During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program 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 conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path 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 altering your path, we want to hear about random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the aim of this article.
