In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to Europe with a companion. Because my friend was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We arrived at the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did for a living, and I explained that I had just graduated with a scientific background and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at the university – adjacent to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately told my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a place where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I was granted free tuition at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his name, but his incredible act of kindness transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the confidence or self-belief to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. And, I had always wanted to study abroad, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia led me to a position in Switzerland where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
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