In the late 1980s, I was beginning a budget travel adventure to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my companion was interested in enrolling in graduate studies in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there en route to London.
We arrived at the graduate housing, a sizeable multi-story edifice on the Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we went directly to the cafeteria, where we picked up meals, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an gentleman from Iraq pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He mentioned that there was an research lab at the institution – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He recommended that I ought to seek a role with them. I dismissed the idea, saying that I was soon departing to Europe and, even more importantly, I did not possess a US visa.
The following day I toured the city, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student came up to me and told me 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 interviewer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she responded: “That can be arranged. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I used the opportunity to earn a graduate degree in global studies.
I never saw that student again and I can't recall his identity, but his remarkable generosity changed my life in so many ways. I didn't possess the bravery or nerve to reach out at an elite institution and seek a position. And, I had long dreamed to take classes in another country, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia led me to a job in Zurich where I got to know my wonderful partner, with whom I now have four wonderful sons and daughters. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Stranger Has Shown for You?
Whether it's making your day to transforming your future, we are interested in random meetings that have stuck with you.
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