In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a low-cost journey to the European continent with a companion. Because my companion was interested in starting a postgraduate program in New York, we had arranged a two-week stay there en route to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large multi-story edifice on the UWS named International House. Once we unpacked, we went directly to the canteen, where we got some food, took a seat, and engaged in conversation with fellow residents.
Adjacent to my seat was an Iraqi man studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I did for a living, and I told him that I had recently completed my studies with a science degree and had been conducting research with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the institution – adjacent to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with 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, more critically, I didn’t have a US visa.
A day later I ventured out, returning to the canteen that night. The engineering student came up to me and let me know that he had organized a discussion for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I lacked the necessary visa, so I was probably wasting her time.
In typical New York fashion – a city where anything feels possible – she said: “We can make that happen. How soon can you begin?” I missed my plane to London.
I was employed there for 36 months. A perk of the job was that I also received complimentary education at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
I lost touch with him and I am unaware of his identity, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I lacked the bravery or nerve to contact anyone at an elite institution and request employment. Moreover, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that tuition waiver.
Perhaps most importantly, that role at the university resulted in a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising a family of four kids. It was a total sliding doors moment. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Most Generous Act a Someone You Didn't Know Has Ever Done for You?
Whether it's making your day to altering your path, we would love to know random meetings that have left a lasting impression.
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