In the late 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side 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 other diners.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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