In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program 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 science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my interviewer 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: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From making your day to changing your life, we would love to know chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you wish. The stories you tell are confidential, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
