In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off informed my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed 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 role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have remained in your memory.
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