During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a big 10-storey building on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away told my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for three years. A perk of the job was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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