In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out 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 ought to seek a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition 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 identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
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