In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had planned a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a big multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an research lab at the institution – right next door to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student walked over to me and let me know 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 straight off told my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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