In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Since my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
What's more, that job in New York 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 helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
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