In the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position 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 following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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