During the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Once Performed for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in chance encounters that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
