In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and started talking to fellow residents.
Beside me was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, saying that I was about to fly to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately told my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the bravery or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From cheering you up to transforming your future, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
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