In the late 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at Columbia University. He wanted to know what I did, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, 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 role at the university led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you prefer. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
