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In the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.

We reached the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.

Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did for a living, and I explained that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an research lab at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.

A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but right away told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.

As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.

I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.

I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.

Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?

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