In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
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