During the late 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I attended the interview – but immediately told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
We invite you to tell us if you are of legal age, without revealing your identity if you wish. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
