In the closing decade of the 80s, I was beginning a backpacking trip to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had booked a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the UWS known as International House. After dropping our bags, we made our way to the dining hall, where we picked up meals, sat down, and engaged in conversation with other diners.
Sitting next to me was an individual of Iraqi origin enrolled in an engineering program at a prestigious New York university. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a degree in science and had been working on studies using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at the institution – adjacent to the school of engineering, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I toured the city, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but immediately informed my host that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “We'll handle it. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for 36 months. One of the benefits was that I got complimentary education at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his identity, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in multiple respects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to approach someone at an prestigious college and ask for a job. Additionally, I had always wanted to pursue education overseas, but could never have afforded it without that tuition waiver.
What's more, that job in New York paved the way for a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That benevolent individual changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Tell us about the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's brightening your mood to altering your path, we are interested in random meetings that have remained in your memory.
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