In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
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