🔗 Share this article

During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.

We reached the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.

He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.

The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq walked over to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.

In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.

I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.

I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped 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 paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?

Whether it's brightening your mood to transforming your future, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.

Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you choose. The stories you tell are confidential, and will only be used the purpose of this feature.