In the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a place where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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