During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits 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 don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
From making your day to transforming your future, we want to hear about random meetings that have remained in your memory.
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