During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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