In the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a friend. Because my friend was considering enrolling in graduate studies in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man enrolled in an engineering program at Columbia University. He inquired what I did for a living, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I consider applying for a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, returning to the canteen that after dark. The Iraqi student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or self-belief to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. And, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Critically, that job in New York led me to a job in Zurich where I encountered my beautiful French husband, 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 forever grateful.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we are interested in chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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