During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a city where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
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