In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the school of engineering, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but right away explained to my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but could never have afforded it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a role in Europe where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I am raising four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's making your day to transforming your future, we would love to know random meetings that have stuck with you.
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