During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to Europe with a travel partner. Because my travel mate was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had planned a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the student accommodation, a large ten-floor structure on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we made our way to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, found a table, and started talking to people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an Iraqi man studying engineering at a prestigious New York university. He wanted to know what I my profession was, and I told him that I had newly finished with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He noted that there was an research lab at the university – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I should apply for a position with them. I laughed it off, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The Iraqi student walked over to me and informed me that he had set up a meeting for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Given that he had made the arrangement, I attended the interview – but immediately informed my host that I was without a work permit, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a place where opportunities abound – she declared: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his full name, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in multiple respects. I lacked the confidence or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Additionally, I had consistently hoped to take classes in another country, but lacked the financial means without that free tuition.
Critically, that role at the university led me to a role in Europe where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger changed my trajectory in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
Whether it's cheering you up to altering your path, we would love to know unexpected interactions that have remained in your memory.
We invite you to tell us if you are 18 or over, keeping your details private if you wish. What you share are secure, and are intended for the aim of this article.
