In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to transforming your future, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
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