In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
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