In the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and informed 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 right away informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we are interested in chance encounters that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you wish. Your responses are protected, and will only be used the aim of this article.
