During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are secure, and will only be used the aim of this article.
