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In the late 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.

We arrived at the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to other diners.

Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.

He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.

The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since 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 unable to accept the role.

In typical New York fashion – a city where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” 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 no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.

We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.

What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.

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

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