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 considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, 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, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
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