In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
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