During the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in New York, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named 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.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been conducting research involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I would never have had the bravery or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Critically, that job in New York resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we would love to know random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you choose. What you share are secure, and are intended for the aim of this article.
