In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a travel partner. Since my companion was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a 14-day stopover there before heading to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a sizeable 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, additionally, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but straight off informed my interviewer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she said: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his full name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and seek a position. Additionally, I had always wanted to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that job in New York resulted in a job in Zurich where I met my beautiful French husband, with whom I now have a family of four kids. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
What is the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
From brightening your mood to transforming your future, we are interested in chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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