During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned 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. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
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