During the late 1980s, I was beginning a low-cost journey to the European continent with a travel partner. Since my friend was exploring enrolling in graduate studies in NYC, we had arranged a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We reached the graduate housing, a large ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side known as International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the canteen, where we picked up meals, found a table, and engaged in conversation with people eating there.
Sitting next to me was an gentleman from Iraq studying engineering at Columbia University. He asked me what I my profession was, and I shared that I had recently completed my studies with a scientific background and had been working on studies with electron microscopy.
He pointed out that there was an electron microscope unit at the university – close to the engineering department, which was the reason he was familiar with it. He proposed that I consider applying for a role with them. I laughed it off, telling him that I was heading off to Europe and, more critically, I lacked a US visa.
A day later I went out exploring, going back to the cafeteria that after dark. The engineering student approached me and told me that he had set up a meeting for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Since he had taken the effort, I went to the meeting – but straight off informed my prospective employer that I didn’t have a visa, so I was likely not a suitable candidate.
As is common in NYC – a metropolis where opportunities abound – she said: “We can make that happen. What's your start date?” I never got on that flight to London.
I held that position for a trio of years. One of the benefits was that I got no-cost classes at Columbia, and I seized the chance to earn a master’s of international affairs.
We didn't cross paths after that and I can't recall his name, but his selfless gesture transformed my future in numerous aspects. I would never have had the courage or self-belief to reach out at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but wouldn't have been able to pay for it without that educational benefit.
Perhaps most importantly, that gig at Columbia paved the way for a position in Switzerland where I met my handsome spouse from France, with whom I now have a family of four kids. That encounter altered everything. That kind stranger redirected my path in life, and I’m eternally thankful.
What is the Most Generous Act a Unknown Person Has Shown for You?
From making your day to altering your path, we want to hear about chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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