During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a big multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we went directly to the dining hall, where we grabbed food, sat down, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at an Ivy League institution. He inquired what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He mentioned that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – right next door to the engineering faculty, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He suggested that I should apply for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq approached me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my prospective employer that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
As is common in NYC – a city where anything feels possible – she responded: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I missed my plane to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got free tuition at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the courage or nerve to reach out at an prestigious college and ask for a job. And, I had consistently hoped to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that free tuition.
What's more, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. 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 Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we are interested in unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
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