In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – right next door to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting 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 didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From making your day to changing your life, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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