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During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.

We reached the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.

Beside me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.

He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.

A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student 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. Since he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.

In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.

I held that position for three years. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a master’s of international affairs.

I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.

What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.

What is the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?

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