During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we want to hear about random meetings that have stuck with you.
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