During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Beside 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 recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or nerve to contact anyone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
From cheering you up to transforming your future, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
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