In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Since my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a large 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I shared that I had newly finished with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that night. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but right away informed my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where everything seems achievable – she said: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a role in Europe where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Shown for You?
From brightening your mood to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are confidential, and will only be used the aim of this article.
