In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off explained to my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
We invite you to tell us if you are of legal age, keeping your details private if you wish. Your responses are protected, and will only be used the aim of this article.
