During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a big multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I my profession was, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately explained to my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means 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 now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From cheering you up to transforming your future, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, anonymously if you choose. The stories you tell are secure, and will only be used the purpose of this feature.
