In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my friend was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that night. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a place where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I didn't possess the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to transforming your future, we want to hear about random meetings that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you prefer. The stories you tell are confidential, and will only be used the aim of this article.
