During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, found a table, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at Columbia University. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the university – right next door to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I consider applying for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a city where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture 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. Moreover, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From cheering you up to changing your life, we want to hear about random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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