During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
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