During the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Once we unpacked, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Sitting next to 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 told him that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I consider applying for a job with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student walked over to 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 taken the effort, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an prestigious college and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are 18 or over, anonymously if you choose. The stories you tell are secure, and are solely for the purpose of this feature.
