In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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