In the closing decade of the 80s, I set out on a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had booked a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side called International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we got some food, found a table, and engaged in conversation 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 newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He pointed out that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering department, which was why he was aware of it. He proposed that I consider applying for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that evening. The man from Iraq came up to me and let me know that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Since he had made the arrangement, I showed up for the discussion – but right away explained to my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she declared: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I held that position for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the courage or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
What's more, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four wonderful sons and daughters. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to changing your life, we are interested in chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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