In the final years of the 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a friend. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a big 10-storey building on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and began chatting with other diners.
Beside me was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I did, and I explained that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He proposed that I ought to seek a job with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The next day I went out exploring, returning to the canteen that night. The man from Iraq came up to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the director of the microscopy lab at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but right away informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for three years. One of the benefits was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to complete a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his remarkable generosity altered my destiny in so many ways. I didn't possess the courage or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
What's more, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four amazing children. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to changing your life, we would love to know random meetings that have remained in your memory.
Feel free to recount your experience if you are of legal age, keeping your details private if you choose. The stories you tell are secure, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
