During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq approached 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 taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
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