In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my companion was exploring starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had planned a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where opportunities abound – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four amazing children. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's making your day to changing your life, we want to hear about random meetings that have remained in your memory.
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