During the final years of the 1980s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my companion was considering enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and began chatting with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent 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 soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, coming back to the dining hall that night. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had set up a meeting for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “We can make that happen. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. An advantage of the role was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or self-assurance to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we would love to know chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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