During the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my companion was interested in pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
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 newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my interviewer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted complimentary education at Columbia, and I took advantage to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you choose. What you share are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
