In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to transforming your future, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you prefer. What you share are secure, and are intended for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
