In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS called International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away told my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we want to hear about chance encounters that have stuck with you.
We invite you to tell us if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you prefer. Your responses are protected, and are intended for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
