In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The Iraqi student approached me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university paved the way for 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 helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we want to hear about random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, anonymously if you wish. The stories you tell are secure, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
