In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Since my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told 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: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
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