In the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The engineering student came up to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately 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 opportunities abound – she said: “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 complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an elite institution and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That helpful person changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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