In the final years of the 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Since my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the UWS known as International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a science degree and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – close to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that night. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I went to the meeting – but right away explained to my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for three years. A perk of the job was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I can't recall his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we want to hear about random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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