During the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
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 remained in your memory.
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