In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a backpacking trip to Europe with a friend. Since my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a two-week stay there before heading to London.
We got to the student accommodation, a large 10-storey building on the Upper West Side named International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we grabbed food, took a seat, and started talking to people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He inquired what I did for a living, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He noted that there was an electron microscope unit at Columbia University – close to the engineering faculty, which was how he knew about it. He suggested that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, telling him that I was soon departing to Europe and, more critically, I lacked 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. Given that he had gone to the trouble, I showed up for the discussion – but immediately explained to my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
In typical New York fashion – a city where everything seems achievable – she declared: “We'll handle it. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for three years. An advantage of the role was that I also received free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
I never saw that student again and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture changed my life in so many ways. I would never have had the confidence or self-belief to approach someone at an elite institution and ask for a job. Moreover, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that educational benefit.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a position in Switzerland where I got to know my handsome spouse from France, with whom I currently share four amazing children. That encounter altered everything. That helpful person set me on a different course in life, and I’m forever grateful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
From brightening your mood to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have stuck with you.
Please share your story if you are 18 or over, without revealing your identity if you wish. What you share are confidential, and are intended for the purpose of this feature.
