In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but straight off informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness altered my destiny in multiple respects. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, 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. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you wish. What you share are secure, and will only be used the purpose of this feature.
