During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Since my companion was considering pursuing a master’s degree in the Big Apple, we had planned a two-week stay there on the way to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we got some food, sat down, and started talking to other diners.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. 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 research lab at the university – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I consider applying for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The Iraqi student approached me and told 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 attended the interview – but right away explained to my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I don’t even know his name, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and seek a position. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
From making your day to changing your life, we want to hear about unexpected interactions that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, keeping your details private if you choose. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
