During the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a friend. Since my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with people eating there.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out 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 suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off told my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for three years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in numerous aspects. I lacked the confidence or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know random meetings that have stuck with you.
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