During the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there before heading to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable 10-storey building on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we got some food, took a seat, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq walked over to me and informed me that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight 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 seized the chance to complete a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or nerve to reach out at an Ivy League university and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Critically, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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