During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again 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-belief to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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