During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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