In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I explained 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 microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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