In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, anonymously if you prefer. Your responses are protected, and are solely for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
