During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Once Performed for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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