In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called 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.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
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