During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a friend. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but right away informed my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is 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 random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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