During the late 1980s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Since my friend was considering starting a postgraduate program in the Big Apple, we had arranged a 14-day stopover there on the way to London.
We reached the student accommodation, a big 10-storey building on the Upper West Side known as International House. Setting down our luggage, we made our way to the canteen, where we picked up meals, took a seat, and started talking to other diners.
Beside me was an Iraqi man pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He inquired what I did, and I explained that I had just graduated with a degree in science and had been working on studies involving microscopic analysis.
He pointed out that there was an research lab at the institution – adjacent to the engineering faculty, which was why he was aware of it. He suggested that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, additionally, I didn’t have a US visa.
The following day I ventured out, going back to the cafeteria that evening. The man from Iraq approached me and told me that he had organized a discussion for me with the head of the electron microscope unit at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I attended the interview – but immediately told my host that I didn’t have a visa, so I was unable to accept the role.
Reflecting the city's spirit – a metropolis where anything feels possible – she responded: “That can be arranged. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I was employed there for a trio of years. An advantage of the role was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to finish a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I am unaware of his identity, but his selfless gesture altered my destiny in so many ways. I lacked the bravery or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and ask for a job. Moreover, I had long dreamed to study abroad, but could never have afforded it without that free tuition.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my wonderful partner, with whom I currently share a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That benevolent individual set me on a different course 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 chance encounters that have remained in your memory.
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