During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but straight off 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 declared: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, keeping your details private if you prefer. What you share are confidential, and are intended for the aim of this article.
