During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, keeping your details private if you choose. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
