In the late 1980s, I set out on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the dining hall, where we got some food, found a table, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did for a living, and I explained that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – right next door to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The engineering student approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an elite institution and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
What's more, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From making your day to transforming your future, we are interested in chance encounters that have left a lasting impression.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are an adult, without revealing your identity if you choose. The stories you tell are protected, and are solely for the goal of sharing inspiring stories.
