During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
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