During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have 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 interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that job in New York led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising 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.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
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