In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a travel partner. Because my friend was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had arranged a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the canteen, where we got some food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He asked me what I my profession was, and I explained that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the university – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis 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 36 months. One of the benefits was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we would love to know chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
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