During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, 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 amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we are interested in chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Please share your story if you are of legal age, anonymously if you prefer. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
