In the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I my profession was, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
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