During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual 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 changing your life, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, anonymously if you choose. The stories you tell are protected, and are intended for the aim of this article.
