During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, 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 led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you wish. The stories you tell are protected, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
