During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The engineering student walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his full name, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
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