In the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
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