In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a role in Europe 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 always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From making your day to transforming your future, we are interested in random meetings that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you wish. What you share are confidential, and are solely for the aim of this article.
