During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my friend was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been conducting research using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He recommended that I consider applying for a role with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. 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. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I am unaware of his identity, but his incredible act of kindness changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have stuck with you.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you wish. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
