During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
From cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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