During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my travel mate was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student walked over to me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's making your day to transforming your future, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
We invite you to tell us if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
