During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
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